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Karamea is a small coastal settlement one and a half hours north of Westport. It has the basic conveniences of a service station, general store and golf course. Many tourists are attracted by local fishing and hunting sports as well as opportunities for adventure.
Locals and visitors alike enjoy the water sport activities like whitewater rafting, helirafting and kayaking. The fishing sports in the area allows for good trout fishing.
Although mountain biking and hunting may be popular in the area, the walking tracks of the vast Kahurangi National Park to the east are the main attraction. The Heaphy Track is known as among New Zealand's best walks and Wangapeka and Karamea-Leslie Tramping Tracks are also nearby.
The 17km Honeycomb Cave System near Karamea feature spots like Moria Gate, Nimrodel Creek and Mirror Tarn which have often been compared to the names Tolkien gave places in his Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The name Karamea is based on the Maori word kahara-taramea, which means the scent of the taramea grass.
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