A rich dense mass of green in the middle of the North Island. That is what Pureora Forest appears as on a map. It is a 760-square-kilometre protected forest with an array of 1000 year old podocarp trees and some of our rarest wildlife, including the North Island kokako and the short tailed bat. For a long time, this forest was mostly traversed by scientists, hunters or the most tenacious of trampers, then in 2013 the Timber Trail opened. This is a 84km cycleway in the forest, with many bridges to cross, including suspension bridges, tunnels to explore and of course the forest to see.

Pureora Forest is a place to explore what New Zealand was like, before humans arrived. It is intact bush that, in some parts, are thousands of years old and is home to many of our special wildlife. It is also a great place to unwind and recharge within the green of the forest.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT PUREORA

Location: North Island, New Zealand. East of Taupo

Size: 75,957 hectares (187,690 acres)

Established: Pureora (State) Forest Park was formed in 1978

Visitor Centres: Nearest iSites for information on this forest are the Te Kuiti as well as at Whakapapa Village.

Closet Towns: Te Kuiti, Bennydale and Taumarunui

There is no fuel in Pureora, so ensure you have enough before you visit.

History

The Pureora Forest is rich in history.

The word Pureora comes from Maori tradition. Rakataura, the tohunga (priest) of the Tainui canoe, took his wife, Kahurere, to the mountain that is now, Mount Pureora, when she was ailing. They stayed there for a long time and performed, a Pure, ceremony to remove tapu. She recovered and Rakataura named the mountain, Pure-ora-o-Kahurere, signifying the rite that restored the health of Kahurere.

The forest also has a history of logging. It was the last native forest to be opened up for milling in 1946 and for around 40 years a logging community formed around this forest where the giant podocarps were milled and made into light posts and fence posts. This came to a halt when a man named Stephen King, an environmentalist, alongside 13 other protestors occupied the canopy in the forest, calling for a halt on all logging. This became headline news over the country. Eventually, the Forest Service conceded and halted logging in the area, while the Wildlife Service launched research about the Kokako, with logging of this forest coming to an end in 1982. In 1993, the Forest Act 1949 was amended to cease unsustainable logging of native forests. These conservationists despite facing threats, managed to hold firm and fast and achieve a win for the forest.

Climb up the forest tower and see what those protestors saw, the forest below alive with kaka and kereru, or go seek out the remnants of the man’s past industrial action in the forest, with the old caterpillar tractor and an old steam boiler.

WHEN TO VISIT PUREORA FOREST PARK

There are advantages to visiting Pureora Park in every season:

One morning, we awoke to a frost at the camp. It was mighty cold that day.

Spring in the forest is starting to warm up a little and the flowers and baby birds will be coming out

Summer can be a bit hot and busy, especially at the camping spots in the park. Good time to visit for camping in tents, with it being warmer

Autumn - is a little cooler and frosts are common. The park camping grounds are quiet, but forest can be a bit busy with people doing the Timber Trail

Winter - is cold, but quiet. Frost is common, with temperatures plummeting to zero.

I personally would visit during spring and autumn, avoid the crowds at the camping spots and avoid the extreme weather.

HIKES

There are many hikes to explore while at Pureora. From easy 20 minute rambles to multi day tramps. A few of these are

Rimu Walk

Time : One Hour Return

Grade : Very Easy

The view from the top of the Rimu Walk stairs

The Rimu walk is an easy one hour return walk through the giants of the forest, these being century old Rimu trees. The majority of the walk is easy, following a defined path through a forest that has been here for many years. You will see Rimu of course, but also ferns of many different kinds, fungi poking out from the undergrowth, lush moss, wispy lichen, and also native birds, such as kereru, kaka, riroriro (grey warbler), and miromiro (tomtit)

The walk does involve quite a few steps, where you eventually reach a nice seated view point to catch your breath. The view is rather spectacular, making the slog worth it. It is all down hill from there, until you eventually emerge from the bush back at the camp.

Access to this walk is via Kakaho Campsite. There are toilets available here as well as water - but you will need to boil first. There are no rubbish bins - so pack in, pack out.

Totara Walk

Time : 30 mins return

Grade : Very Easy

An easy 30 minute return walk through one of the world’s finest rainforests, the Totara Walk is a worthwhile exploration when in the area.

The path winds it way through lush ferns, giant native trees, fallen logs from years ago now covered in moss and mushrooms. Birds fly high above, kaka screeching and kereru flap and swoosh crashing through the trees, and toutouwai or North Island robin hopping around the track.

Along the path, there are cool informative signs detailing about the wonders of this forest. This are a neat addition to the walk and you will definitely learn a thing or two.

Very unique flora and fauna inhabit this area, including our native bat - who you may be able to see at dawn at the edges of the forest. There body is as small as a human thumb, and the appear as fantails flittering around. There is also Dactylanthus or wood rose which is our only flowering parasitic plant.

There is a toilet at the start of this walk.

Mt Pureora Via Link Road

Time : 3 Hours Return

Grade : Easy

This is the easiest way up Mt Pureora, with a gentle incline and for the most part, a well defined path or boardwalks and stairs.

The track begins around 14km along Link Road off Barryville. The road is very rough with many potholes and a gravel surface. Drive carefully.

The carpark for the walk is opposite the track start. The walk will transverse through some amazing New Zealand flora and fauna. This includes the werewere kokako, or blue mushroom, that can be found on our $50 note. You may also see the tomtit or miromiro, the kaka, the tui and the kereru as you walk along. The path will very gradually incline with a few steps thrown in to keep things interesting for your leg muscles. You will cross three waterways as you walk on, but these are all with boardwalks, so you won’t have to get your feet wet. As you climb higher, the path will be replaced with a wooden boardwalk for the most part. After a frost or rainfall, this can be slippery so walk carefully. Also, some points of the boardwalk are in need of repair and the ground can be quite muddy, so be careful of mud spots.

After around an hour, you will emerge from the forest and be surrounded by more alpine vegetation. Another five minutes or so of walking and you will have reached the trig. The views are amazing up on Mt Pureora on a clear day, being able to see Lake Taupo, Mount Taranaki and Mount Ruapehu. After snapping a few photos and catching your breath, return the same way you came up. Or you can descend via the Toitoi track, which meets up with the Timber Track. But, if you go that way, make sure that you have prearranged for someone to pick up up on the other side.

There are many other walks that you can wander through, these were just three that I did while there. The DOC website has a list of all the others. This can be found here https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/waikato/places/pureora-forest-park/

WHERE TO STAY IN PUREORA

Pureora has a number of accommodation options. I prefer to camp, either in a tent or van mainly due to the price and the scenic nature of it.

CAMPING

There are three DOC campsites in or around the forest.

The Kakaho Camp is located on the western side of the forest and access is via Kakaho road. The road is quite gravely and has quite a lot of potholes, so be careful as you make your way to the campground. The campground is spread over several fields - you pick a spot that works for you. It is $8 an adult per night or free if you have the DOC camp pass and you need to book via the DOC website. There is a couple of relatively clean long drops here and fresh water from the stream that runs alongside the camp. This water needs to be boiled though before use. The Rimu Walk starts at this campground.

The Ngaherenga Camp is on the eastern side of the park on Barryville road. This campground is again a field, this time with one longdrop, which is a bit worse for wear with a carpet of dead bugs on the ground and many in the actual toilet. But there is toilet paper and it does the job. For water there is a tap, but again you need to boil before use. There are several picnic tables and firepits for you to cook at. The camp is quite close to the road, but there is not much traffic so noise is not an issue, and there are many spots for people, including little nooks for tents to be out of the wind.

Again, this camp is $8 an adult per night or free if you have the DOC camp pass and you need to book via the DOC website. Many walks can be accessed from this campground, including the Timber trail, the Totara walk, and climbing the Pureora Mountain.

From this camp, according to the Department of Conservation website, short tail bats can be seen leaving a roosting tree at dusk. So, look out for that.

The Piropiro campsite is located on the timber trail and is within the forest. This site is free and there is no need to book. There is water as well as places where you can have a fire, but check if there is a fire ban in the area before doing so. There is a longdrop and a lot of room for people to camp.

HUTS

There are also DOC huts to stay at within the forest, such as the Bog Inn Hut, Hauhungaroa Hut and Waihaha Hut. All of these are accessible via hiking or in some cases, biking through the forest. Some of the walks are quite advanced to get to the huts, so gauge your abilities before setting out.

Glamping

Camp Epic is a privately owned glamping experience within the forest. The have hot showers and canvas tents that you can rent, but you can also BYO tent. There is a outdoor kitchen block as well as a fire pit, to roast those marshmallows. This is a popular site for those doing the Timber Trail as they also offer services, such as shuttle to the start of the trail. Even though I have not personally stayed here, it does look like a great option for those who wish for a slice of luxury in the bush.

OTHER ACCOMODATION

A group booking option is the Pureora Lodge, which is perfect for school bookings and larger groups. They have a kitchen, bathroom, dining hall, and dormitories.

Because of the Timber Trail, there are a variety of different accommodations available. The Black Fern Lodge offers shuttle and bike hire as well as 5 ensuite rooms and a hot tub to soak in after those long walks or bike rides.

Others include

Flashpackers - Ongarue

Twinrivers Cottage

SIGHTS OF INTEREST

Tallest Totara

The tallest tōtara in the world can be found in these parts. It’s name is Pouakani and it can be found between Mangakino and the Pureora Forest. The walk to the tree is only a short 20 minute or so bush walk. The path can be a bit muddy and there can be quite a few roots to navigate. Once you reach this tree you will be struck with the regal nature of this tree, he is quite the sight to behold.

This tree is 1800 years old.

Caterpillar Tractor

The Caterpillar Tractor is a remnant of the logging industry past that the forest experienced pre 1970s. The tractor was used to pull Totara posts from the forest, but its engine blew a casket. It was left to the forest to claim. It is still in the forest and can be accessed via the timber trail. There is a nice spot around the tractor for a picnic in the forest with seating and cover.

Forest Tower

This is a 12 metre tower that is accessed via the end of Bismark Road.

It gives an interesting perspective being up in the canopy with the swooping kaka and the crashing kereru. It also serves as a reminder on what must it have been like to be one of the protestors in the 1970s who occupied the tree canopies to halt ongoing logging in the area at the time.

Ammenties

There are toilets available to use around the forest. At all campsites, there are long drops and at the Pureora village, there is a flushing toilet - but often without toilet paper available, so BYO. There is water available at the campsites, but must be boiled before use. The nearest general store is in the town of Benneydale, which sells some essentials. There is also a Waitomo petrol station located at this town.

Flora and Fauna

Located within the forest is some of New Zealand’s most unique flora and fauna. If you are into birds, well, you are in for a treat. There are kaka screeching and doing amazing aerial displays in the air, especially on the east side of the forest at Ngaherenga Camp. They are especially active at dawn and dusk. There are tuis, Korimako (bellbirds), piwakawaka (fantails) and tauhou (silvereyes) singing in the foliage, everywhere. Kereru flap with loud whoosh swoosh sounds overhead as you make your way through the forest and curious toutouwai (North Island Robin) hop along the path behind you, gobbling up worms and bugs. Grey warblers warble, whiteheads chatter, and you may even hear or see the elusive Kokako as you wander. The best time to head into the forest is dawn, so you can hear the dawn chorus - with all the birds singing out in the morning air.

At dusk, you may even be lucky enough to see our native bats, the long and short tailed bat. There body is as big as your thumb and they appear as fantails fluttering near the edges of the forest.

There is an amazing array of plant-life in the forest as well. New Zealand’s only flowering parasite plant, the Dactylanthus or wood rose, which attaches itself to tree roots and feeds of their nutrients. It is pollinated by the short-tailed bat. There are many different kinds of fungi in the forest as well, including one of our most iconic, the werewere kokako, the blue mushroom that can be found on our 50 dollar note. There is also of course the giants of the forest, with the podocarp trees being abundant, these include rimu, the kahikatea, miro, mataī and tōtara. kahikatea is often called the dinosaur tree, as it was around during the Jurassic period.

What to do?

FOR THE ADVENTUROUS

Some of the hikes in Pureora are quite technical and will offer an adventure, especially the Hauhungaroa Track, which is a 3 day tramp. There is also the Timber Trail. This is a grade 2-3 85km mountain bike trail through the Pureora Forest. There is a selection of nearby accommodation , that offer not only accommodation for before and after the ride if needed but also shuttle service, as well as bike hire. These include the Camp Epic and the Black Fern Lodge.

FOR THE NATURE LOVER

Nature is around every corner at Pureora, so you will be hard-pressed not to have a great time while here. The Forest Tower is a great way to potentially see some of the birds close up, including the kaka. There are also many walks where nature will be in your face. From fern fronds to Rimu Trees. A special visit though is to Pouakani, the tallest totara.

For the family

The Timber Trail is a good option for the family adventure, or an easier walk, such as the totara walk or the Rimu walk. These will get your family buzzing with all the nature they can see. The forest tower will have you gazing out on the canopies, where you can spot all the different birds or a visit to the Waihora Lagoon could be interesting. The Lagoon is a short 15 minute walk and offers great views from a platform. This place is best visited after rainfall, and can dry out over summer.

GREAT PHOTO SPOTS IN PUREORA

Mount Pureora: Beautiful views on a clear day to Lake Taupo, the Plateau and even Taranaki. Best would be sunrise, but the hike can be a bit treacherous when dark. So only attempt if confident.

Waihora Lagoon: Best after rainfall for great reflections, would be best to visit in autumn and spring as can dry up in summer. Gravel unmaintained road to enter, so 4WD recommended.

Forest Tower: Best in morning, with the birds being the most active. May be able to hear the dawn chorus.

Rimu Track High Point: Best at late afternoon, just before sunset, light touches the mountain in your view quite beautifully.

Giant Totara: Best in the late afternoon, the light hits the tree quite delightfully and the forest is alive with the sounds of birds and insects.

TAKE ONLY PHOTOGRAPHS, LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS

It is very important that when you enter natural spaces, such as the Pureora Forest, that you follow some basic principles that will ensure that the forest stays clean and intact.

There are no rubbish bins in the park - pack in, pack out principles apply

Dispose of waste water properly when camping - do not tip in in waterways, nor do you dishes in the stream.

Use the toilets that have been put in place for your use - do not throw toilet paper and tissues along the tracks.

Do not burn plastic - it creates harmful gases

Leave what you see in the park - do not take nature home as a souvenir

Follow the track - there is a precious and vulnerable ecosystem in this park - trampling on it will cause harm.

Check if a fire ban is in the area before using fire pits in campgrounds

Respect Culture - There is cultural significance to local iwi in the Pureora Forest - pay heed to this

There are also the seven principles of Leave No Trace New Zealand, which are important to consider when entering any natural space in New Zealand.

The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Pureora Forest Park