The remote
and magical wilderness region of Te Urewera is one of the few
places in New Zealand where you can still enjoy nature as
it was meant to be. The region has huge tracts of native
rainforest and a wide variety of native birds, including rare
and endangered species like the whio (blue duck), kaka and kiwi.
The beautiful Lake Waikaremoana is home to one of New Zealand's
great walks and there are numerous smaller and equally pretty
lakes and rivers to explore. In
addition to trekking, on foot and on horseback, mountain biking, fishing and
hunting are popular activities among locals and visitors alike.
There are a
number of small, mainly Maori communities throughout Te Urewera.
This is a place where you can experience the Maori way of life
as it is today and you will often hear Maori being spoken - a
rarity in other parts. Tuhoe - the children of the mist - are
the tangata whenua (people of the land) in Te Urewera and are
well known for their generous hospitality.
The magic of
Te Urewera won the heart of New Zealand writer Katherine
Mansfield early last century: "It's all so gigantic and tragic - even in the bright
sunlight it is so passionately secret."
Te Urewera
National Park is the largest single block of native forest in
New Zealand's north island. Established in 1954 the park covers
212,600 hectares and contains more than 650 different native
plant species. It also has an abundance of native birdlife with
many rare species still present including kokako,
kiwi, kaka (parrot), whio (blue duck), kakariki (parakeet),
toutouwai (robin) and kereru (wood pigeon). Commonly seen native
birds include korimako (bellbirds), tui, tirairaka (fantails),
ruru (morepork owls), and kaka (parrots).
The North
Island green gecko and brown skink can also be found in the park
along with long and short-tailed bats.
The park is
also home to the beautiful lakes of Waikaremoana and Waikareiti,
as well as many rivers and waterfalls.
Famous
English botanist and environmentalist David Bellamy, described
the Whirinaki as 'one of the great forests of the world'. It is
one of the best places in the world to see original stands of
indigenous Podocarp trees including rimu, miro, matai,
kahikatea, and many more. It is also home to a wide variety of
native birdlife as well as wild deer, pigs, and of course,
possums.
In addition
to the fabulous network of tramping tracks, huts and campsites,
the Whirinaki Forest Park has special trails for mountain
biking, lovely rivers and streams for fishing, and good hunting
for red deer and pigs. Hunters are welcomed because of the
service they provide in controlling wild animal numbers,
particularly deer, pigs, and possums.
