Haruru Falls Track
Waitangi National Trust Mangrove Walk
Your Nature Guide
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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Information
Haruru Falls Track
approx 6 km one-way | 2 hours one-way
The elegantly constructed boardwalk through the mangroves provides the ideal way to explore this unique habitat, which is otherwise inaccessible by foot.
Walking Track
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.
Details
| Feature | Value | Info |
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Organisation |
Far North District CouncilCouncil organisation |
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Location |
North Island ▷ Northland ▷ Paihia |
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Directions To Coordinates |
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Coordinates |
Walking
Nearby
Reviews
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4.5/5
22May24.
We seniors enjoyed the walk especially the mangrove element.
I agree with other reviews that the distance and timings given are not so accurate. Also that there are few places where you can see any distance and get a wider perspective.
That said it is a very good walk. Easy in terms of not being able to get lost and the track is good subject to the caveat of very wet weather.
I totally disagree with the previous review that said the falls are tiny. Eh? Not such a good flow as our last visit some years ago but that might be failing memory. Still a good enough sight for us to want to stay and eat our lunch there.
Go.
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3.5/5
A nice walk through the forest on a small road.
The bad thing is that the waterfall is small but the walk is really nice.
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3.5/5
Three hour walk .
Nice bush walk into the mangrove. At the end, you end up at a waterfall. It was not an impressive waterfall. Coming back by the road is risky.
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4.0/5
Mangrove part is very nice, through Kiwi territory, then on to the waterfall at the end.
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3.0/5
Very nice walk through forest, one can see mangroves, lots of birds.
But Haruru Falls itself is a bit disappointing as it is really tiny.
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3.5/5
Started at Falls, straight into a bushwalk which got a bit boring then through a Mangrove swamp - very interesting.
Took 2 hours.
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4.5/5
Good track through forest, kiwi habitat, mangrove forests.
With Haruru Falls as the destination it is a lovely walk.
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5.0/5
A well maintained and pleasing track, but one which has been reported inaccurately by e.g.
paihia.co.nz making all other downline figures wrong too.
Stats from GPS: averaged over several two-way journeys:
Distance one way = 4.6 km.
Time one way = 1.5 hours (slow-to-moderate pace with a few stops to take in the scenery). Terrain is flat to slight undulation, never more than ca. 20 m ASL. Hope that puts it into perspective.
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4.5/5
22May24.
We seniors enjoyed the walk especially the mangrove element.
I agree with other reviews that the distance and timings given are not so accurate. Also that there are few places where you can see any distance and get a wider perspective.
That said it is a very good walk. Easy in terms of not being able to get lost and the track is good subject to the caveat of very wet weather.
I totally disagree with the previous review that said the falls are tiny. Eh? Not such a good flow as our last visit some years ago but that might be failing memory. Still a good enough sight for us to want to stay and eat our lunch there.
Go.
-
-
3.5/5
A nice walk through the forest on a small road.
The bad thing is that the waterfall is small but the walk is really nice.
-
3.5/5
Three hour walk .
Nice bush walk into the mangrove. At the end, you end up at a waterfall. It was not an impressive waterfall. Coming back by the road is risky.
-
-
4.0/5
Mangrove part is very nice, through Kiwi territory, then on to the waterfall at the end.
-
3.0/5
Very nice walk through forest, one can see mangroves, lots of birds.
But Haruru Falls itself is a bit disappointing as it is really tiny.
-
3.5/5
Started at Falls, straight into a bushwalk which got a bit boring then through a Mangrove swamp - very interesting.
Took 2 hours.
-
4.5/5
Good track through forest, kiwi habitat, mangrove forests.
With Haruru Falls as the destination it is a lovely walk.
-
-
-
5.0/5
A well maintained and pleasing track, but one which has been reported inaccurately by e.g.
paihia.co.nz making all other downline figures wrong too.
Stats from GPS: averaged over several two-way journeys:
Distance one way = 4.6 km.
Time one way = 1.5 hours (slow-to-moderate pace with a few stops to take in the scenery). Terrain is flat to slight undulation, never more than ca. 20 m ASL. Hope that puts it into perspective.
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3.5/5
A lot of different things to see and a nice and quiet place in the touristic Bay of Islands.
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4.5/5
Very nice 6km walk through bush and mangrove swamps.
Well sign posted and interesting noticeboard.
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