Trounson Kauri Park Loop Track
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
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
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Organisation |
DOC NorthlandCentral government organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Dargaville |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Walking
Nearby
Reviews
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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.
C![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(247,203,164)" /><path d="m 150 744 Q 104 196 -444 150 Q 104 104 150 -444 Q 196 104 744 150 Q 196 196 150 744 z" fill="rgb(158,88,118)" /><path d="m 150 303 Q 125 175 -3 150 Q 125 125 150 -3 Q 175 125 303 150 Q 175 175 150 303 z" fill="rgb(97,167,137)" /><path d="m 150 170 Q 158 142 130 150 Q 158 158 150 130 Q 142 158 170 150 Q 142 142 150 170 z" fill="rgb(8,52,91)" /></svg>)
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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.
MF![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(95,55,203)" /><path d="m 150 733 Q 149 151 -433 150 Q 149 149 150 -433 Q 151 149 733 150 Q 151 151 150 733 z" fill="rgb(241,212,123)" /><path d="m 150 530 Q 255 45 -230 150 Q 255 255 150 -230 Q 45 255 530 150 Q 45 45 150 530 z" fill="rgb(14,43,132)" /><path d="m 150 207 Q 244 56 93 150 Q 244 244 150 93 Q 56 244 207 150 Q 56 56 150 207 z" fill="rgb(160,200,52)" /></svg>)
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
JD![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(118,127,8)" /><path d="m 150 674 Q 126 174 -374 150 Q 126 126 150 -374 Q 174 126 674 150 Q 174 174 150 674 z" fill="rgb(228,193,51)" /><path d="m 150 444 Q 272 28 -144 150 Q 272 272 150 -144 Q 28 272 444 150 Q 28 28 150 444 z" fill="rgb(27,62,204)" /><path d="m 150 109 Q 258 42 191 150 Q 258 258 150 191 Q 42 258 109 150 Q 42 42 150 109 z" fill="rgb(137,128,247)" /></svg>)
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4.0/5
Walkway through a very nice Kauri forest, less tourists than at Waipoua - very good!
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4.0/5
Interesting to see how big the Kauri trees can grow and unbelievable that they are so old.
J![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(74,216,136)" /><path d="m 150 716 Q 76 224 -416 150 Q 76 76 150 -416 Q 224 76 716 150 Q 224 224 150 716 z" fill="rgb(120,21,161)" /><path d="m 150 387 Q 266 34 -87 150 Q 266 266 150 -87 Q 34 266 387 150 Q 34 34 150 387 z" fill="rgb(135,234,94)" /><path d="m 150 177 Q 280 20 123 150 Q 280 280 150 123 Q 20 280 177 150 Q 20 20 150 177 z" fill="rgb(181,39,119)" /></svg>)
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5.0/5
The best experience so far!!
Walking in the forest, hearing the Kiwi call and simply seeing one in the wild!!
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3.0/5
Sweet walk through kauri forest.
Not crowded (like the 'big' walk to the giant Kauri trees).
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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.
C -
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.
MF -
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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.
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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.
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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!
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4.0/5
Walkway through a very nice Kauri forest, less tourists than at Waipoua - very good!
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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.
JD -
4.0/5
Interesting to see how big the Kauri trees can grow and unbelievable that they are so old.
J -
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5.0/5
The best experience so far!!
Walking in the forest, hearing the Kiwi call and simply seeing one in the wild!!
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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 :).
L![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(37,56,38)" /><path d="m 150 601 Q 161 139 -301 150 Q 161 161 150 -301 Q 139 161 601 150 Q 139 139 150 601 z" fill="rgb(36,53,61)" /><path d="m 150 521 Q 162 138 -221 150 Q 162 162 150 -221 Q 138 162 521 150 Q 138 138 150 521 z" fill="rgb(219,202,194)" /><path d="m 150 138 Q 300 0 162 150 Q 300 300 150 162 Q 0 300 138 150 Q 0 0 150 138 z" fill="rgb(218,199,217)" /></svg>)
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4.0/5
Not as well known as the giant kauri trees (Waipoua Forest), but a very nice walk.
KB![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(18,62,183)" /><path d="m 150 682 Q 180 120 -382 150 Q 180 180 150 -382 Q 120 180 682 150 Q 120 120 150 682 z" fill="rgb(86,185,100)" /><path d="m 150 470 Q 272 28 -170 150 Q 272 272 150 -170 Q 28 272 470 150 Q 28 28 150 470 z" fill="rgb(169,70,155)" /><path d="m 150 145 Q 287 13 155 150 Q 287 287 150 155 Q 13 287 145 150 Q 13 13 150 145 z" fill="rgb(237,193,72)" /></svg>)
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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)
Ja![](data:image/svg+xml;utf8,<svg width="300" height="300" viewBox="0 0 300 300" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><rect id="bg" width="300" height="300" fill="rgb(89,154,141)" /><path d="m 150 606 Q 53 247 -306 150 Q 53 53 150 -306 Q 247 53 606 150 Q 247 247 150 606 z" fill="rgb(208,12,195)" /><path d="m 150 317 Q 119 181 -17 150 Q 119 119 150 -17 Q 181 119 317 150 Q 181 181 150 317 z" fill="rgb(47,243,60)" /><path d="m 150 128 Q 285 15 172 150 Q 285 285 150 172 Q 15 285 128 150 Q 15 15 150 128 z" fill="rgb(166,101,114)" /></svg>)
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