The Echo Walking Festival has concluded its most successful season to date, marking huge turnouts and an expansion in both size and scope.

This includes not just in the number of walks but in reach, said Echo Walking Festival chairwoman Vicki Lambert.

“We’ve expanded the footprint of the festival to include new trails and communities, moving further into the Western Bay and the response has been fantastic.”

This year’s Echo Walking Festival expanded to 45 walks (grades one to five) and outdoor experiences across the region - from Kaimai Range to the Coromandel - with several new walks introduced in the Western Bay of Plenty.

The crew also welcomed hundreds of walkers over the course of the festival.

The intended 22 days was pushed out several more due to Cyclone Tam which led to postponements.

The Echo Walking Festival provides a rare chance to explore Tuhua Mayor Island.

New walks (from Te Puna to Waihī Beach) included Sapphire Springs Nature Trail and Soak, Aongatete Night Walk, Aongatete Fungi Walk, Waitekohekohe Kids Educational Walk, Kōrero and Kai at Otawhiwhi Marae, Waihī Beach Reservoir Loop and the Base of the Trig Track and the Aongatete Short Loop Track. There was a new partnering with Flavours of Plenty festival for the Kōrero and Kai event.

New walks

The newly introduced TECT Park Walk was a hit with first-time visitors. It included a tour with park rangers identifying native species along the Te Rerenga Tunnel Track.

“One of the true highlights was stepping into the historic 60-metre-long Te Rerenga Tunnel – dug entirely by hand in the 1930s using only picks, shovels, and wheelbarrows. Built to divert the Te Rerenga Stream beneath what is now SH36, the tunnel remains a lasting tribute to the grit and ingenuity of the past.”

Another new walk this year was at the Ōtanewainuku Trig. The day included a climb to the summit learning the history of the reserve and the conservation work of Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust.

There was also the debut fungi walk in Aongatete Forest.

“This might have been the slowest-paced walk of the festival, but with fungi, the slower you go, the more you see,” Lambert said.

“From miniature treasures tucked beneath the leaves to towering toadstools overhead, we discovered a kaleidoscope of shapes, colours, and textures all around us.”

Sapphire Springs Nature Trail and a soak at the springs.

Lambert said walkers of all ages came out to enjoy local landscapes throughout the course of the festival.

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s clear there’s a growing appetite for these kinds of experiences.”

Echo Walking Festival organisers started the event in 2003 with the aim of getting people enjoying the great outdoors and appreciating its beauty and staying active.

The festival core team this year included Lambert, Jo Heath, Kylie Watkins, Max McLean, Jim Cowan, Doug Longdill, Gary Dwyer, Matt Nicholson and Ali Van der Heyden with many volunteer guides.

Tuahu Track walk follows along the Waihou Valley Pine Forest.