2021: Important - Some tracks may be closed to prevent the spread of kauri dieback. Check with DOC for the latest updates.
Waipoua Forest is well worth a visit. It has excellent walks, and the main road winds its way through a lush temperate rainforest for 18kms. It is considered the best example of an old growth Kauri Forest in New Zealand today. Kauri is an ancient species. They can grow to a massive size and live for over a thousand years.
Inside Waipoua Forest
Two famous Kauri trees
Tāne Mahuta, Lord of the Forest, is the largest native tree in New Zealand with over 30 species of plants in its canopy. It has a circumference of 13.77 metres.
Te Matua Ngahere, Father of the Forest, is the oldest native tree in New Zealand and is estimated to be over 2,000 years old. It has a circumference of 16.41 metres.
Although the forest is known for its striking Kauri trees, there is an abundance of other plant species such as rimu, taraire, northern rata, kohokohe, tree ferns, grasses and perching plants in tree canopies.
The forest is also home to New Zealand threatened species, the North Island kokako, brown kiwi, and the kauri snail. The kauri snail can live for 20 years and grow up to ten centimetres in diameter.
Common bird species inhabiting the forest include tuis, grey warblers, kingfishers, native pigeons, silvereyes and the North Island fantail.
At Waipoua Bridge, you can turn off to the Waipoua Visitors Centre. Te Iwi O Te Roroa are the traditional guardians of the park who manage the area. The visitor centre has an information centre, café, campground and cabins.
State Highway 12 inside Waipoua Sanctuary
From the centre, you can access Lookout Track. This walk goes to the historic forestry lookout and gives a good overview of the area. It is a two hour return trip. If you do not want to walk, you can drive to the lookout.
The Historic Forestry Lookout
Toatoa track is about a 20-minute walk down the road from the lookout. The track is well graded with plant labels and is a ten minute walk each way. The name toatoa is the Maori name for Celery Pine. There is a good stand of these trees on the walk.
If you want to see an example of Kauri trees at different stages of their growth, park your car at Waipoua Bridge and do Rickers Walk. It is a 20-minute return trip. Rickers is the name used for young kauri.
About nine kilometres north, from the bridge, you can access the three Kauri Walks.
The Four Sisters is a group of four straight tall kauri trees growing next to each other. It is a 20-minute return walk.
Te Matua Ngahere is very big and is the oldest kauri tree in New Zealand. It is a 50-minute return walk.
The Yakas walk meanders through the kauri forest to the Yakas tree. This is the seventh largest kauri tree in New Zealand. You can stand next to it or be a tree hugger for a while. It is an 80-minute return walk.
The Yakkas Tree
From Kauri Walks, drive north for a couple of kilometres, and you will arrive at a carpark and picnic grounds. From here, New Zealand’s most famous tree, Tāne Mahuta ‘Lord of the Forest’ is a five minute walk each way.
Carpark and picnic grounds near Tāne Mahuta walk
After Tāne Mahuta, the road continues for about three kilometres and then begins to enter farmland. The next town is Waimamaku.
Caution: Be aware of Kauri Dieback
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Cleaning station
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PHOTO CREDITS
Inside Waipoua Forest, Image by itravelNZ, (CC BY 2.0), Tāne Mahuta, Image by Sylvain Machefert, "Tāne Mahuta" via Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY- SA.3.0), Te Matua Ngahere, Image by Oren Rozen, " Te Matua Ngahere, Waipoua Forest" via Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY SA 3.0,) Kauri Snail, Image by Graham Bould, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, Fantail, Image by Grant Ching, "NZ Fantail", (CC BY 4.0), Native Pigeon, Image by Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, North Island Brown Kiwi, Image by Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, State Highway 12, Image by Matt Lemmon, "The Road to Tāne Mahuta" (Cropped and sharpened), (CC BY-SA 4.0), The Historic Forestry Lookout, Image by brewbooks, "Waipoua Forest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), The Four Sisters, Image by Michal Klajban, "Own work" Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY-SA 4.0), View from Rickers Walk, Image by Anne-Lise Heinrichs, "Waipoua Forest", (CC BY 4.0), The Yakas Tree, Image by itravelNZ, "Yakas" (CC BY 4.0), Carpark and picnic grounds, Image by Brett Vachon, Tāne Mahuta canopy" (CC BY 4.0), Cleaning Boots and Gear, Image by Eli Duke, "New Zealand; Kauri National Park" (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Inside Waipoua Forest, Image by itravelNZ, (CC BY 2.0), Tāne Mahuta, Image by Sylvain Machefert, "Tāne Mahuta" via Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY- SA.3.0), Te Matua Ngahere, Image by Oren Rozen, " Te Matua Ngahere, Waipoua Forest" via Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY SA 3.0,) Kauri Snail, Image by Graham Bould, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, Fantail, Image by Grant Ching, "NZ Fantail", (CC BY 4.0), Native Pigeon, Image by Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, North Island Brown Kiwi, Image by Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons, State Highway 12, Image by Matt Lemmon, "The Road to Tāne Mahuta" (Cropped and sharpened), (CC BY-SA 4.0), The Historic Forestry Lookout, Image by brewbooks, "Waipoua Forest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), The Four Sisters, Image by Michal Klajban, "Own work" Wikimedia Commons, (CC BY-SA 4.0), View from Rickers Walk, Image by Anne-Lise Heinrichs, "Waipoua Forest", (CC BY 4.0), The Yakas Tree, Image by itravelNZ, "Yakas" (CC BY 4.0), Carpark and picnic grounds, Image by Brett Vachon, Tāne Mahuta canopy" (CC BY 4.0), Cleaning Boots and Gear, Image by Eli Duke, "New Zealand; Kauri National Park" (CC BY-SA 4.0)