Trounson Kauri Park
A kauri forest reserve managed by the Department of Conservation, with a 40-minute loop track through ancient trees and the chance to spot wild kiwi at night.
Trounson Kauri Park covers about 450 hectares and protects a well-preserved stand of kauri at the southern edge of the Waipoua Forest. Thanks to long-term control of introduced predators such as stoats and rats, it is one of the few places in Northland where North Island brown kiwi can be seen in the wild. A flat loop track of about 40 minutes passes towering kauri, a pair of 'conjoined' kauri and fern-filled gullies. A Department of Conservation campground sits by the entrance. Beyond daytime walks, the most distinctive experience is the night walk. You can join a night tour run by a lodge near the campground, or bring a red-filtered torch and walk the tracks quietly to look for kiwi, glowworms and giant freshwater crayfish. Entry is free. You must clean your soles at the disinfection station on entering and leaving, and keep to the boardwalks and tracks to prevent the spread of kauri dieback disease.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Kai Iwi Lakes
- Te Matua Ngahere
- Tāne Mahuta
- Opononi & Omapere
- Arai te Uru Heritage Walk
- Koutu Boulders
- Wairere Boulders
- Rawene