Pureora Forest short walks.

Forest Tower 

The Forest Tower is a 12-metre wooden structure in Pureora Forest Park. It lets visitors climb up among the treetops of this ancient forest.

In the 1970s the area was set aside for selective logging. From the top of the tower, information panels explain the important conservation protests of the late 1970s. In 1978 protesters sat high in the nearby trees to stop further logging. Their action helped create Pureora Forest Park and led to a temporary ban on native forest logging, which became permanent in 1982. Extra panels along the short track tell the story of the forestry work that came before the protests.

From the tower you can look out over the forest canopy and may see native birds. The surrounding bush shows the healthy forest that conservation has protected.

How to get there Turn onto Hill Road from Barryville Road. Drive 2.4 km along this rough forestry road until you reach the signposted access track. The walk to the tower takes about 10 minutes. It starts through younger forest and then enters tall old trees.

Along the way you can see old forestry machines, including a log hauler by the roadside and another on a short sidetrack.

Note on directions Some maps and signs use different names. The Department of Conservation calls Hill Road “Pikiariki Road” and the access track “Bismark Road.” Park maps often do not clearly mark the tower or the roads. Google Maps is the most reliable way to find it.

Rimu Track 

The Rimu Track is a moderate loop walk in the northeast part of Pureora Forest Park. It starts at Kakaho Campsite, where Kakaho Road meets Link Road, and takes you through dense ancient podocarp forest full of large rimu trees.

The Walk The track begins by crossing Kakaho Stream, then follows the stream bank for about 400m. You walk among tall rimu trees with a rich undergrowth of moss, lichen, ferns and epiphytes — a true rainforest feel. After crossing the stream again, the path climbs 60m to a hilltop viewpoint among the big trees.

From the viewpoint it is a short walk back to the road. You then return along Kakaho Road to the campsite to complete the loop.

How to get there From State Highway 32 (on the eastern side of Pureora Forest Park), turn onto Kakaho Road. Follow it to the junction with Link Road, where the Kakaho Campsite and the start of the track are located.

Ancient Totara Walk

This short, easy 30-minute loop track near Barryville Road gives visitors a close look at New Zealand’s ancient forest. It winds through towering native trees that are hundreds of years old — some around 1,000 years old.

The path leads through a cathedral of giant podocarps: tōtara, rimu, mātai, miro and kahikatea. Moss, lichen, ferns and epiphytes cover the trunks and forest floor, creating a cool, green rainforest atmosphere. Interpretive signs explain the plants and the forest ecosystem. The well-maintained track is wheelchair accessible.

Listen for native birds such as tūī, pīwakawaka (fantail), kākāriki, tomtits and robins. Early morning is usually the best time to hear them.

Pureora Forest was saved in the late 1970s when protesters climbed into the trees to stop logging. Their action helped create the forest park and permanently protect these remaining old-growth trees. The Totara Walk is a living reminder of that successful conservation effort.