River walk is a walking track through Hautapu Park, 157A Hautapu St, Taihape, Rangitikei, holding a 4.7 rating on Google from three reviews. A good river walk keeps things simple: level, gently graded ground that follows the water, so it suits all ages and works as an easy leg-stretch rather than a day's mission. The pleasure is in the small stuff — the sound of the current, willows and flax along the banks, fantails working the understorey. Riverside paths are also the first to feel the weather; after heavy rain the flat sections near the water can turn soft or puddled, so shoes you don't mind muddying are the regulars' pick. Locals tend to walk them early, when the river is quiet and the birdlife is busiest. In a hill-country town like Taihape, a quiet riverside wander through Hautapu Park is just the thing for locals, and a proper stop for travellers on State Highway 1.