Let’s go on a walk inside the Waipoua Forest

If you desire to talk to God, walk inside a forest and you will come to know that God and Nature are one and the same. Waipoua Forest on the West Coast is the most famous Kauri forest of New Zealand. When you walk inside the forest, you will come face to face with tall trees and some of the rare birds. This ancient green world is the largest remaining tract of native forest in Northland. Huge Kauri trees in the forest create a natural gateway when you approach the forest. You will be amazed to see the colourful ferns that line the edge of the roads. If you want to see the Tane Mahuta, the largest kauri tree of New Zealand and the Lord of the forest, then Waipoua Forest is the address. It is around 2000 years old and is still growing. You can even see Te Matua Ngahere, the Father of the Forest in Waipoua. This tree is around 2500-3000 years old.

Make sure you arrange for a guided tour to the forest for a unique experience. The guides are aware of so many things and enlighten you to the flora and fauna that you might otherwise miss. The added benefit of hiring a guide is that the person will tell you legendary tales of Maori people and culture. They even sing enchanting songs of Maori and you certainly get transported to another world while establishing a connection with Mother Nature. If you are lucky, you get to tour the forest during twilight, which is quite spellbinding. The different walks that can be taken inside the Waipoua forest are:

Four Sisters Walk

You will love walking through the forest of kauri and rimu and watching the four tall kauri trees that are growing very close together. The drive takes just 10 minutes on one side. It is one of the easiest walks in Waipoua Forest. You will get to watch silver fern here.

Lookout Track

Another famous walk is the lookout track to the Waipoua Forest. This track connects the Waipoua Visitor Centre to the historic forestry lookout. The visitor centre is set amid the forest alongside a beautiful river and a swimming hole. You will like to relax here while on a tour. The place is known for its ancient kauri location and offers an information centre, accommodation and a cafe to unwind.
The lookout track takes 1 hour to complete and is of advanced level.

Rickers Walk

Close indefinitely, Rickers Walk took 10 minutes on one way. It was an easy track.

Tane Mahuta Walk

This walk is named after one of the oldest and largest living Kauri tree in Waipoua Forest of New Zealand. The duration of this walk is just 5 minutes one way and is easiest of all.

Te Matua Ngahere Walk

This walk is named after the oldest and the second largest living Kauri tree of New Zealand. The duration of this walk is 20 minutes. It is one of the easiest walking trails. Here you can also view ferns growing on a log.

Toatoa Walk

This walk will let you see the best of the toatoa, the blue celery pine and podocarps. It is a short walk inside the Waipoua forest and takes just 10 minutes on one way. It is one of the easiest walking trails of the forest.

Yakas Walk

This walk will let you trek on a well-surfaced track to the Cathedral Grove. You can then move forward to experience the Yakas tree, which is the seventh largest kauri tree of the Waipoua forest.