Waterfalls & Kauri!

Leaving the carpark, take the time to thouroughly clean your shoes at the station. As trail runners we are more at risk than probably anyone else of spreading Kauri Dieback.

Once the shoes are clean, hit that track and turn right immediately. Follow this well formed trail, the first major intersection is a trail off to the right, but you can see that just heads to the road, so carry on. The next intersection has the canopy walk off to the left... ignore this (for now) and carry on climbing the trail.

The next intersection gives you two choices, but you head right on the McKinnon Track and start climbing the steps. You will eventually get to the view of the waterfall. Once you have snapped a pic or two. carry on up the trail to the road, turn right, over the bridge and into the park on the other side. Work your way down to just above the top of the falls.

Here you have two choices... if the river is not too high work your way over to the other side and climb the pretty obvious unofficial track up to the previous trail. If the river is high then just retrace your steps. Once you get back to the McKinnon Track start, carry on the Alexander Walk and watch out for a small sign on your left to the Hatea River Walk and Whangarei Falls. Head on down this flat well formed trail.

At one point you come into a paddock with a lesser trail across the grass, fight the temptation and hang a left to follow the trail. After a while you will hear the falls and then see the bridge that gives you the view, but just before that there is a trail to the left to the car park. Follow that trail.

Once on top, follow the path to the right, around and over the bridge, keeping an eye out as there are several great photo spots here. On that side you will see a sign saying "Circular Walk to base of Falls" . Follow this down and over the bridge we saw earlier. Once you have taken some more pics, retrace your steps all the way back to where you saw the 'Hatea River Walk' sign and head right. A short time later you will come to the cleaning station... don't stop, keep going on the trail you started on up to the Canopy Walk bridge... head over that and then complete the loop again.