Waipoua Forest Walks

Any exploration of the Northland region has to include a stop at the Waipoua Forest to admire the majestic kauri trees, New Zealand’s answer to redwoods. Travelling along the narrow, winding State Highway 12, the forest is dominated by kauri, rimu and northern rata. The walks are all signposted and when you get on the various tracks, no matter how close you are to the road, the air takes on a clean, cool quality, with many people wishing they could bottle it to breath when they get home. With many operators offering guided walks, choosing this option gives you a greater understanding of the cultural significance of New Zealand’s trees. Tane Mahuta Walk 10minutes return, 160m from the road, suitable for strollers, super easy. Tane Mahuta is New Zealand’s largest living kauri tree and, when you see his vast circumference you’ll see why he is referred to as a the Lord of the Forest. With boardwalks built up to protect his precious roots, this natural wonder stops all visitors in their tracks. Yakas Walk 3.4km return, 1.5 hours, easy peasy. Walking through native vegetation, after about 35 minutes you’ll find yourself at a group of kauri known collectively as Cathedral Grove and a mere two minutes more walking will see you arrive at the kauri tree known as Yakas. Thought to be the seventh largest tree in existence, it’s named for the gum digger Nicholas Yakas who knew all the secrets of the forests round these parts and in the 1960s he decided to share some of them, Lookout Track 2.5km one-way, allow about 2 hours. This walk might be short but it’s pretty tough, the only really challenging walk in the area, with a serious uphill to the lookout which was originally built for spotting fires in the 1960s. Setting off from the Waipoua Visitor Centre at the southern end of the forest, this track leads you through a variety of vegetation including podocarp, hardwood, Manuka and kauri before arriving at the historic forestry building where walkers will enjoy sweeping views across the canopy and all the way out to the coast. And please, most important of all when visiting New Zealand’s precious kauri trees, always give your shoes a good squirt and brush at the stations provided to prevent the spread of the deadly kauri dieback disease that is devastating parts of New Zealand’s native forests.