Whirinaki Forest

Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tane holds what is probably the densest stand of podocarp forest left anywhere - rimu, matai, kahikatea, totara and miro packed together on fertile volcanic soil, with a tangled understorey beneath. David Bellamy called it a dinosaur forest, and the description stuck, because these tree families were established long before flowering plants took over the world. Logging here was stopped in the 1980s after a campaign that included tree occupations, and the mills at Minginui closed with it - a cost carried by the local community that is part of the story. Walks range from the short Whirinaki Waterfall Loop to the Whirinaki Track and multi-day circuits with huts. Kiwi, kaka, whio and kakariki are present, and the whio - blue duck - can be seen on the river by anyone who walks quietly. The area is co-managed with Ngati Whare.

What you actually see

• The podocarp density - rimu and matai packed as nowhere else.
• The waterfall loop - the short walk from the road end.
• Whio on the river - blue duck in the rapids, for the quiet.
• The river tracks - day walks and multi-day circuits with huts.

When to go

October to April. Huts need booking. Rivers rise fast after rain and some routes have unbridged crossings - check conditions.

Honest expectations

The access road is partly unsealed and remote; there is little phone coverage. Facilities at Minginui are minimal. Sandflies are persistent near water. Longer routes need real tramping equipment.

Nearby

Te Urewera lies south-east; Rotorua and Murupara are north-west.