Access

The walk starts from the northern end of the Waitangi National Trust Park, opposite the Waitangi Trust Visitor Centre. This is the nearest carpark.

Alternatively, if attempting the walk in reverse, follow Puketona Road from Paihia for 5km and turn right into Haruru Falls Road. There is a carpark on the right after the bridge over the Waitangi River.

Track

Initially the track skirts the golf course (follow the yellow marker posts), before passing through a turnstile. Through the kanuka forest the track is wide and well-formed but unmetalled.

After 1 hour the track crosses an arm of the estuary on a boardwalk, which continues for approximately 20 minutes through the mangroves. It can be slippery when wet.

At the end of the boardwalk, turn left. The track skirts the shoreline of the Waitangi River before exiting through a turnstile. There is a 2-minute walk from the carpark at the Haruru Falls to a lookout over the falls.

Flora

Mangroves (Avicennia resinifera) are uniquely adapted to their harsh environment. Their shallow radial roots anchor well in the anaerobic muds and protect the trees from strong winds and tidal scours. Vertical breathing roots, known as pneumatophores, are exposed at low tide and enable the trees to transpire.

The leaves have a waxy topside, which reflects the strong light, and a downy coat of fine hairs on their underside retards the loss of water through transpiration. Mangrove seeds germinate on the tree and the seedpods can be carried on tidal currents for up to four months while the seed remains viable.

Mangroves are important indicators of the ecological health of an estuary. They reoxygenate the water and provide habitat for molluscs, crustaceans, up to 30 fish species and numerous wading birds.

After the boardwalk, the native vegetation sequence is exhibited on the estuary, from mangroves to salt marshes to coastal scrub.

Polynesian History

The Haruru Falls form a picturesque crescent and drain the Waitangi River. Before the advent of Europeans, horses and bridle tracks, the Waitangi River was the main Maori communications route. Haruru Falls represented the entrance to the Bay of Islands.

European History

Haruru was a busy port in the late 1800s, exporting timber, kauri gum, cattle, dairy produce, sheep and wool.