Tracks for trees
Hey all,
First time posting here but not the first time I’ve visited these forums. I’ve picked up some great info from here before, so thank you all.
I am after recommendations for tracks (or even just areas) where I can experience the most impressive stands of mature native forest. Big trees, beautiful groves, podocarp, beech, whatever. I have done a fair bit of tramping around the North Island in the five years that I have lived here, and have fallen in love with the native trees and forests of this land!
Any recommendations would be appreciated. North or South Island, short walks, multi day, anything and everything.
I am based in Auckland and have visited Waipoua, done the Whirinaki Track, and hope to visit Pureora in the near future. This summer I am spending some time heading down the South Island from Nelson to Fiordland via Nelson Lakes and the West Coast, so any information on tracks along this route would be particularly appreciated.
Cheers!
16 comments
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Incidentally, if anyone here is in the north Auckland area and into big trees, the other week I stumbled across a great little track tucked away behind Massey University in Albany, the Totara Forest River walk. Some awesome kahikatea and the most impressive stand of totara i've seen yet.
Seriously mate when you go to the west coast there is huge podocarp forest everywhere. You won't need to go looking you won't be able to avoid it.
I've tramped all over the north island and the best original podocarp forest probably is the whirinaki forest. But there are bits and pieces most places.
This is what it is like everywhere in the west coast from west port to Haast in particular.
I'm ex Forest Service and have worked doing vegetation surveys in various parts of New Zealand and measured some big trees.. The best podocarp forest I've come across in the NI is in Whirinaki Forest where there are some amazing totara stands in particular with some giant specimen trees. From Marlborough/Nelson down the West Coast right thru to southern Fiordland and on to Stewart Island there is a lot of lovely forest; beech, podocarp, mixed, swamp, alpine, coastal etc. There are some very accessible kahikatea at Sunny Bight Lake Kaniere near Hokitika with a loop walk thru them. At Carew Falls, Lake Brunner you'll see a few good podocarps but if you get off track (it is like a jungle) you may find some of the giant matai that are there. There are also a number of rimu near the matai that are around 2 metres diameter at breast height (They are smaller than the matai but still big trees and more cylinderical than the matai).
Heaphy track has some really nice variations along it, from beech to nikau to semi-alpine.
Thanks for all the replies! Absolutely frothing to get down to the West Coast now
The track to Lake Kaurapataka on the west coast, just downstream from Otira has some great red beech trees. Nowadays we hear and sometimes see kaka in there too.
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| Forum | Tracks, routes, and huts |
|---|---|
| Started by | sleepsinatent |
| On | 21 August 2017 |
| Replies | 15 |
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