waipoua forest

Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to visit Tane Mahuta and he did not disappoint! You feel a real sense of humility standing amongst these trees. Particularly Te Matua Ngahere. Just absolutely stunning. Can't help but think how beautiful it would look if we hadn't chopped them all down...

Great place to walk and see all the kauri trees.Easy grade perfect for all ages.Take your time and step out of the rat race.Maoi guides do leader led walks

This area is one of the few remaining stands of ancient Kauri forest. These massive trees are [almost] comparable to the USA's Coastal Redwoods in terms of their size and stature. The area features a number of walks to various points that showcase some of the larger Kauri trees. Walking tracks include "Four Sisters" (0.7 km return), "Te Matua Ngahere" (1.4 km return), "Yakas" (3.4 km return), and of course, "Tane Mahuta" (0.4 km return).Each pathway follows a well developed trail system or upraised boardwalk, so as to limit damage to the natural environment. The Kauri roots are very shallow and can apparently be damaged by trampers' footsteps. Visitors can also potentially carry on on their boots disease that can plague the Kauri, so make sure to clean your boots at all appropriate stations (near the trailheads). The massive Kauri trees themselves are a real treat to walk along and near. Seeing Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) was a truly awe-inspiring and humbling experience. The boardwalk leading to the Yakas tree allows you to literally stand right beside the tree's trunk and marvel at its size!Keep an eye (or ear) out for the sound of the rare Kokako calling from the treetops!

We stopped on our drive from Dargaville to Paihia to visit the giant Kauri in Waipoua Forest and sat in awe of these jawdropping old father's of the forest.Te Matua Ngahere the 'Father of the Forest' can be spotted through the trees at a curve in the boardwalk, and you think you are looking at a rocky cliff - this mammoth trunk 16 metres in circumference is so hard to comprehend that it's actually a tree - until you look up into the amazing canopy. It just leaves you speechless.Nearby Tane Mahuta, "Lord of the Forest" is just as inspiring, making you want to just kneel at his feet in an act of worship. 35 plus other plant species grow in his awesome canopy - he is a true father of smaller things! Want to feel small and insignificant? Travel here and meet these 2000 plus year old giants and wonder at their glory.

took a night time tour with a Maori guide. Well organized, learned lots and the forest is beautiful. Easy walking for anyone. Wear waterproof shoes.

what a beautiful ngahere/forest!! Green and serene, reminds us of how fortunate we are to have such a gift in the Northland. May it long continue.

The forest as well as the large Kauri trees make for a beautiful walk. It is even better if you know something about the distinctive nature of the kauri trees to fully appreciate what you are seeing. They are unique.

since 1952 this place has been a sanctuary for native flora and fauna and contains 2 of the largest living kauri trees, Tane Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere. And the great thing is anyone can see them as very easy path too them and only a short walk to see trees that are between 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Plus there is a huge amount of native birds there so at times the area abounds in bird song.

A grandfather kauri tree is a sight to behold. This forest contains trees 2,000 to 3,000 years old. The Tane Mahuta tree towers only a block or so from the main highway on a well maintained trail. Its tall neighboring kauri trees dwarf by comparison. You can arrange to plant a rare kauri tree and receive photos to track it as both you and your tree grow in stature and wisdom. Don't miss this unique sight. I wish we'd had time to take the lookout walk too.

The Kauri trees leave you in wonder. They are magnificent. I recommend that if you have a chance to lose yourself in here and experience a moment with these trees that you do so! There is something alluring about standing before something that was there before you... and will be there long after you. It's almost a religious moment as you stand there respecting what it has taken for these trees to survive the onslaught of man.

We did the lookout walk which is about an 1,5 hours and absolutely beautiful you walk through so many different terrains that you will be left in awe after this walk. Really cool much better then just seeing Tane Mahuta

Normally I write the skinny, an abbreviated list of info before I plunge into a review but alas for this visit I can not.The Yakas Trail is CLOSED! If your plan is to park at the visitor center and hike up to the trees, you can not. The visitor center has an info desk, small gift shop, toilets, and a cafe. You must traverse down a single gravel lane to get there. The parking lot is paved. If you want to see the iconic kauri trees you must park at two different lots off the highway. The first spot which is near the biggest tree is a 5 min walk with paved parking on the side of the road. There is a small food truck parked there if you want a snack and a picnic area available as well. No toilets here that I could see. The big tree is massive and really a sight to see. For the second set of trees, you go further down the highway to a gravel lot. The trees there are spread out to easy walks that take from 10 min to 45 min. There is a guy in the lot that watches your car for $2. He's there til 4p (though he left before when we were there)The trees here are equally beautiful and there are benches on the elevated walkways so that you can drink in their beauty. Stay on the paths so as to not destroy the delicate ecosystem in place. There are no toilets at the 2nd location.Note:There are a lot of bugs so bug repellent is handy. For those pesky creatures that do bite, bring an anti itch cream with you. Most of the walk is shaded.

The ancient Kauri trees definitely have a wow factor and are definitely worth seeing if you have the time. A couple of things to note:-The trip is around 1.5 hours one way from Keri Keri / Bay of Islands region. -As others have noted, Tane Mahuta (on the main road) is awesome, but Te Matua Ngahere is epic and offers better photos and a great walk.-You need to be a little careful of the signs for all of the walks other than Tane Mahuta. The sign simply says Kauri Walks which leads you to a parking lot ($2 dollars) from which you can walk to Te Matua Ngahere, The Four Sisters, and the Yaka's walk.***Since you are already in the area...I highly highly recommend driving towards Omapere and going to the Arai Te Uru Heritage Walk which provides amazing views over Hokianga Harbour. We ended up spending even more time here that with the Kauri trees.

Visiting this part of New Zealand means you're interested int these big trees. From the parking lot there are a number of walks ou can follow. Each of them not taking more than half an hour.The Four Sisters surely impress you, by having four of the "big trees" standing together. Continuing to Te Matua Ngahere - the second largest kar in NZ - brings you close to one of these huge trees.Unfortunately, there is not enough information about kauri forest, their envirenment, their needs, their history... available in Waipoua Forest itself.If you're interested (and in fact you should be) make sure to reseve an extra 1 to 2 hours to visit Trounson Kauri Forest, 15 km south of Waipour forest. According to me, a much better environment to learn about these masters of the wood, and certainly worthwhile this extra detour.

I loved the visit to Waipoua Forest to see the ancient and giant Kauri trees. The Forest, and the trees, some of which are more than 2000 years old are amazing.