Waitakere Ranges

The Waitakeres are the bush-covered hills between Auckland and the Tasman coast - about sixteen thousand hectares of regenerating rainforest, nikau palm, tree fern and remnant kauri, cut by streams with waterfalls and ending in the cliffs above the black-sand beaches. They are the city's back yard and were logged hard in the nineteenth century, which is why most of the forest is second growth with only pockets of old kauri left. Those pockets are the problem: kauri dieback, a soil-borne pathogen spread on footwear, has forced the closure of a large share of the track network since 2018, and closures change. Tracks that are open have cleaning stations at both ends and using them is a legal requirement, not a suggestion. What remains open includes coastal routes, Arataki with its visitor centre and carvings, and sections of the Hillary Trail. Check the council's current track status before planning anything.

History

The ranges are traditionally known as Te Wao Nui a Tiriwa, "the great forest of Tiriwa", and lie in the rohe of Te Kawerau ā Maki, with more than 550 recorded archaeological sites. From the 1790s European visitors probably began taking young kauri for ships' spars, and in the colonial era the ranges were a major source of kauri timber (Wikipedia, Waitākere Ranges).

What you'll find

• The rainforest - nikau, tree fern and regenerating kauri.
• Arataki visitor centre - carvings, exhibits and the ridge view.
• The waterfalls - Kitekite, Fairy Falls and others, where open.
• The cliff-top routes - tracks along the Tasman coast.

When to go

October to April. Check the current track closures first - a large part of the network is shut for kauri dieback and the list changes. Clean and spray footwear at every station.

Practical notes

Many tracks are closed and have been for years; arriving with an old guidebook route in mind usually ends in a locked gate. There is no public transport into the ranges themselves. Weather turns fast on the coastal sections.

Nearby

Piha, Karekare, Bethells and Whatipu are on the coastal side; Titirangi is the eastern gateway.

Key facts