In legend, Mt Karioi (756m), the Sleeping Lady (check out that profile), is the sister to Mt Pirongia. At its base (8km south of Whale Bay), Te Toto Gorge is a steep cleft in the mountainside, with a vertigo-inducing lookout perched high over the chasm. Starting from the Te Toto Gorge car park, the strenuous but scenic Te Toto Track goes up the western slope. It takes 2½ hours to reach a lookout point, followed by an easier hour to the summit.
From the eastern side, the Wairake Track is a steeper 2½-hour climb to the summit, where it meets the Te Toto Track.
