The Oxbow Loop Track at Baring Head and Ōrua-pouanui in East Harbour Regional Park takes its name from two former river meanders visible beside the path. This gentle circuit takes about 35 minutes to complete and passes remnants of the Wainuiomata River’s earlier course.
These curved depressions mark where the river once flowed before changing direction. Although the surface channel has long since shifted, water continues to move beneath the ground, influencing the plant life above. The old horseshoe shaped bends remain vividly green through the height of summer, revealing the river’s past in living colour across the landscape.
