Whirinaki Forest Park, Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand

Indian Travel Places September 15, 2017 Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks 3,791 Views

Whirinaki Forest Park (Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tane Conservation Park) is a publicly accessible conservation park in the North Island of New Zealand. The park is centered on the town of Minginui and part of the eastern boundary flanks Te Urewera. The forest is one of the world’s last prehistoric rainforests.

The Department of Conservation is responsible for administering the park jointly with the local iwi, Ngati Whare. Tramping is a popular recreation in the park and there is a network of tracks and huts that are now used for this purpose.

The unsealed River Road provides access to a carpark and the starting point of many walks. Short walks lead through native bush to Waiatiu Falls, Arohaki Lagoon, Te Whaiti-Nui-A-Toi Canyon, and Whirinaki Falls, respectively. The rain-fed Arohaki Lagoon is often alive with Southern Bell Frogs. Longer tramping tracks connect several huts and two other access roads.

The forests were a focus of protests over logging in the 1970s and 80s. Today, large parts of the park remain covered in native podocarp forest featuring rimu, totara, kahikatea, matai and miro. Some higher parts contain beech forest. The forest supports a wide range of birds, some of which are endangered.

Whirinaki is the location of Nga Hua a Tane, a radical place based research program on rainforests and the ecosystem services they provide to support life on our planet, led by the local school, Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti Nui-a-Toi and its community.

In 2010, a co-governance agreement was signed with Ngati Whare as part of a treaty settlement. As part of the settlement, the New Zealand government apologised for past injustices and acknowledged the park was integral to Ngati Whare’s cultural identity and wellbeing. The settlement provided for a joint Ngati Whare and Crown regeneration project, which aimed to regenerate 640ha of exotic pine adjacent to the park back to indigenous podocarp forest, with David Bellamy as patron. The park’s name was changed from Whirinaki Forest Park to Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne means the abundance of Tāne.

User reviewed online profile of Whirinaki Forest Park: Bay of Plenty region, New Zealand. Plan your adventure holiday to Whirinaki Forest Park armed with information and reviews provided by experts and by users. Find out about when to go, how to get there, what to do, best season to visit, its wildlife, habitat and much more…

What to do in Whirinaki Forest Park:

Wild Life: Kaka, Kereru (New Zealand Wood Pigeon), Toutouwai (North Island Robin), Piwakawaka (Fantail), Miromiro (North Island Tomtit), Popokatea (Whitehead), Riroriro (Grey Warbler), Thrush, Black Bird, Makomako (Bellbird), Tui (Parson Bird), Tauhou (Silvereye), Kotare (New Zealand Kingfisher), Pipiwharouroa (Shining Cuckoo), Koekoea (Long-tailed Cuckoo), Kakariki, Kiwi, Whio (Blue Duck), Red Deer, Pig, Possum, Rat, Mouse, Cat and Stoat
Adventure: Tramping, Fishing, Horse-trekking, Bushwalking, Hunting, Mountain Biking, Camping

Where is Whirinaki Forest Park:

Region: Located between the central volcanic plateau and mountain axis of the North Island.
Location: Whakatane district, Bay of Plenty region, New Zealand

When & how to get to Whirinaki Forest Park:

Best Time to Visit: 01-Jan to 31-Dec
Getting There: The Park is 90km south-east of Rotorua, off SH 38. Entrance is past Minginui village and up River Road to the Whirinaki carpark, the northern starting point for many walkers. You can also walk from the southern end, starting at Plateau carpark, about 43km from Minginui along forestry roads. The carpark can also be reached from the Napier/Taupo Highway.
Nearest Town: Murupara
Nearest Airport: Rotorua
Nearest Railway Station: Rotorua

Where to stay (Lodges / Guest Houses / Camps / Resorts / Hotels):

Accommodation: There are two campsites and several huts administered by the Department of Conservation in Whirinaki Forest Park. There is also a Recreation Camp.

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