- 8+ years
- 7 hours
Hike in Tongariro National park to enjoy easy, off-the-beaten-track experiences, beautiful scenery, and more.
Quick Details
- 9.00 a.m. pick-up at your hotel or at the Rotorua site
- Drop-off facility available as well
- Lunch provided (please specify if you need vegetarian options)
Explore NZ Ecology on a Whirinaki Rainforest Guided Walk
Discover ancient trees, extraordinary ecology, and learn about the conservation challenges to protect some of the rarest creatures on earth. Would you go to Northern California and not see the Redwoods? What trip to Alice Springs would miss Uluru? We reckon anyone visiting the Central Plateau who doesn’t see one of the world’s premier rainforests — Whirinaki Forest — is missing out on a similarly spectacular experience.
Five hundred-year-old trees standing 60 m high, rare birds calling overhead – Whirinaki is a world-class example of a unique rainforest that’s barely changed since dinosaurs roamed under the canopy. It really is a must-see when you’re visiting New Zealand.
This lush forest is unlike anything else in New Zealand, with ancient trees such as rimu, kahikatea, miro, and matai. Whirinaki provides an outstanding habitat for many of New Zealand’s rarest birds — kaka (North Island parrot), yellow-crowned kakariki (parakeet), and toutouwai (North Island robin), to name just a few.
Includes:
- Pick-up or meet in Rotorua/Taupo at 9.00 a.m.
- One hour 15 minutes travel time from Rotorua/Taupo to Whirinaki (taking in a commentary of the incredible central plateau along the way)
- Four hours hiking
- Lunch at a beautiful waterfall (30 minutes)
- Return to Rotorua/Taupo – one hour and 15 minutes