Trounson Kauri Park Loop Track

Trounson Kauri Park Loop Track

44 Rankers Reviews

1 Walking

7 Dargaville

Your Nature Guide

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Marios Gavalas

Author And Researcher

Nau mai, haere mai

Nau mai, haere mai

I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.

I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!

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Photos

The Four Sisters - Trounson Kauri Park

Information

Trounson Kauri Park Loop Track

1.6 km return | 40 minutes return

Kauri grow prolifically on the reserve in symmetrical columns of untapering beauty. They grow in dense stands and are sometimes the only tree in a particular area of forest.

Trounson Kauri Park is a short walk doozy. Trounson provides a unique combination of being a mainland island (this means that predatory pests are trapped and native bird-life are more abundant) PLUS you walk amoungst the giants of New Zealand forest - the mighty kauri trees.

Less busy than the Tane Mahuta walk.

Stay the night in the connected DOC campground and have a chance of seeing wild Kiwi at night. What a treat!

Walking Track

Access

Trounson Kauri Park is signposted from S.H.12 along Kaitui Road from the north (8km) and Trounson Park Road from the south (7km).

There is a DoC campground (open only in summer) and toilets nearby.

The track entrance is signposted 100m from the junction with Mangatu Road along Trounson Park Road, where there is a large parking area.

Track

The track is wide, even and metalled. It performs a loop through the forest, over a substantial boardwalk and alongside a stream.

Information panels and two poetic auditory accompaniments give information on the kauri and ecology of the forest.

Fauna

The forests of Northland are presided over by a conspicuous, eerie quietness that is only broken by the occasional chuckling of a stream or the rusting of foliage in the wind. The rush of wings or the melancholy tunes of the forests’ avian residents are sadly absent.

Predation by stoats, ferrets and cats; loss of habitat through land clearance for farming and exotic forestry; and competition for food from possums and rats have crushed bird numbers to low levels. Some populations are below the threshold needed to survive.

The mainland island concept was introduced to preserve environments where predator numbers are controlled through trapping and poisoning. The native plant species are given a chance to proliferate, supplying an abundant food resource to the native birds.

Species such as North Island brown kiwi, kukupa, pekapeka (bats) and kauri snail now have recovering populations in Trounson’s protected confines.

European History

In 1890 James Trounson set aside 3.14 hectares of land for a reserve and added 21.45 hectares later. Before the park was officially opened in 1921 a further 367 hectares were added. The total area now comprises 457 hectares

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

DOC Northland

Central government organisation

Location

North IslandNorthlandDargaville

Categories

  • Activity__walking_and_trekkingWalking
  • Free

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-35.7216742376318

173.652992248535

Latitude
-35.7216742376318
Longitude
173.652992248535

Nearby

Reviews

    • Night walk to see Kauri amazing.
    • Nice walks and not over crowded.
    • A loop track with a length from 1.5 km.
    • A wonderful introduction to the native forests.
    • The best experience so far!!
    Rating Count Percentage
    10/10 14
    32%
    9/10 14
    32%
    8/10 10
    23%
    7/10 5
    11%
    6/10 1
    2%
    5/10 0
    0%
    4/10 0
    0%
    3/10 0
    0%
    2/10 0
    0%
    1/10 0
    0%
  • 4.5/5

    Very pretty, nice and easy walkway (mostly boardwalk).

    Beautiful forest!

    Reviewed about 1 year ago

  • 4.0/5

    Great walk for kids too.

    Stroller-friendly. Sad to see the dead kauri’s - take care to follow the instructions. The parking lot has many young kauri’s if you know how to spot them. We saw a huge snail alongside the road, unfortunately it was ‘sleeping’ inside its house.

    Reviewed about 1 year ago

  • 5.0/5

    12 September 2018.

    Basically as previously described. We walked in light and dark. Glow-worms in places. Saw one or possibly two kiwis, just about! Great place to go. Shame about the kauri die-back but good protections in place, please use them.

    Reviewed about 6 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    A loop track with a length from 1.5 km.

    A nice collection of Kauri trees. A beautiful walk. The DOC campsite Trounson Kauri Park is directly next door.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

  • 5.0/5

    Beautiful walk to giant Kauri trees.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

  • 4.5/5

    Great walk through the forest, mainly on a boardwalk.

    We did it twice - initially to familiarise ourselves and then at night, but sadly we didn't see any kiwis,

    We stayed overnight at the DOC site next to the park - great value for money as it has a number of powered sites, plus a kitchen for those without their own facilities. Best approach is from the south; the one from the north requires 8km drive over a gravel road.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Beautiful walk, because of the big kauri trees and forest experience.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 4.5/5

    A wonderful introduction to the native forests.

    We repeated the walk in the dark but failed to spot a kiwi - only met other campers and one scared possum!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 5.0/5

    I really recommend to do this walk if you want to see kiwi birds but cannot afford a guided tour (the local guided tours will bring you to this same place anyway).

    Try to avoid big groups or you won't see any. We were lucky to see one kiwi bird (we heard many others) but loud people were also around so we had to be patient.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Walkway through a very nice Kauri forest, less tourists than at Waipoua - very good!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 4.0/5

    Interesting to see how big the Kauri trees can grow and unbelievable that they are so old.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 3.0/5

    Sweet walk through kauri forest.

    Not crowded (like the 'big' walk to the giant Kauri trees).

    Reviewed over 13 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Very pretty, nice and easy walkway (mostly boardwalk).

    Beautiful forest!

    Reviewed about 1 year ago

  • 4.0/5

    Great walk for kids too.

    Stroller-friendly. Sad to see the dead kauri’s - take care to follow the instructions. The parking lot has many young kauri’s if you know how to spot them. We saw a huge snail alongside the road, unfortunately it was ‘sleeping’ inside its house.

    Reviewed about 1 year ago

  • 5.0/5

    12 September 2018.

    Basically as previously described. We walked in light and dark. Glow-worms in places. Saw one or possibly two kiwis, just about! Great place to go. Shame about the kauri die-back but good protections in place, please use them.

    Reviewed about 6 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Beautiful walk to giant Kauri trees.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

  • 4.5/5

    A loop track with a length from 1.5 km.

    A nice collection of Kauri trees. A beautiful walk. The DOC campsite Trounson Kauri Park is directly next door.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago and experienced in January 2017

  • 4.5/5

    Great walk through the forest, mainly on a boardwalk.

    We did it twice - initially to familiarise ourselves and then at night, but sadly we didn't see any kiwis,

    We stayed overnight at the DOC site next to the park - great value for money as it has a number of powered sites, plus a kitchen for those without their own facilities. Best approach is from the south; the one from the north requires 8km drive over a gravel road.

    Reviewed over 7 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    A wonderful introduction to the native forests.

    We repeated the walk in the dark but failed to spot a kiwi - only met other campers and one scared possum!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 5.0/5

    Beautiful walk, because of the big kauri trees and forest experience.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in March 2016

  • 4.0/5

    Walkway through a very nice Kauri forest, less tourists than at Waipoua - very good!

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in January 2016

  • 5.0/5

    I really recommend to do this walk if you want to see kiwi birds but cannot afford a guided tour (the local guided tours will bring you to this same place anyway).

    Try to avoid big groups or you won't see any. We were lucky to see one kiwi bird (we heard many others) but loud people were also around so we had to be patient.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Interesting to see how big the Kauri trees can grow and unbelievable that they are so old.

    Reviewed over 8 years ago and experienced in February 2016

  • 4.5/5

    Kauri trees walk.

    Reviewed almost 9 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Nice walks and not over crowded.

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago and experienced in January 2015

  • 5.0/5

    Nice to walk in the shadows of these giant trees.

    Reviewed about 10 years ago and experienced in March 2014

  • 4.0/5

    Night walk to see Kauri amazing.

    Reviewed over 10 years ago and experienced in February 2014

  • 5.0/5

    The best experience so far!!

    Walking in the forest, hearing the Kiwi call and simply seeing one in the wild!!

    Reviewed over 11 years ago and experienced in March 2013

  • 3.5/5

    Nice 40min walk, lots of kauri trees.

    Found big kauri trees at the west coast more impressive, but if you have time stay here for the night (at the campground) and look for kiwi's in the wild! Took me 5 minutes to see one :).

    Reviewed over 11 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Not as well known as the giant kauri trees (Waipoua Forest), but a very nice walk.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago and experienced in November 2012

  • 4.5/5

    It is free and really impressive to see.

    Reviewed almost 12 years ago and experienced in December 2012

  • 4.5/5

    A beautiful taste of things to come (when travelling from the south, up the West Coast).

    Meandering through the forest, chance to stay at the DOC Site.

    TopTip Take yourself on the nighttime Kiwi-Tour and do so before 9pm or after 10pm (to avoid paid group)

    Reviewed about 12 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Really nice.

    Reviewed about 12 years ago and experienced in March 2012

  • 5.0/5

    Perfect park - perfect walk.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 3.5/5

    The track in the Trounson Park is less known that the other tracks to the Kauri Trees but well worth it, beautiful kauri trees.

    You can go at night and take a flash light you may see a kiwi!

    Reviewed over 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 5.0/5

    Beautiful, silent, exciting to see such big trees, and hear about their story and ages.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 5.0/5

    The parks are all clean, the ways are well prepared, the signs leading to attractions are good - we just get enough information.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago and experienced in February 2012

  • 4.0/5

    Well signed, well described and well kept up.

    Good effort.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Interesting signs and nice kauri trees.

    Reviewed over 12 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    40min walks with kids was very nice and also to the kauri trees in Waipoua Forest was easy to go to with kids aged 5 & 8.

    Reviewed almost 13 years ago

  • 4.5/5

    Nice forest and a very nice track.

    Reviewed almost 13 years ago

  • 3.0/5

    Sweet walk through kauri forest.

    Not crowded (like the 'big' walk to the giant Kauri trees).

    Reviewed over 13 years ago