Exploring the Beauty of the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park

The Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park is made up of two distinct areas, the Kaimai Range and the Mamaku Plateau. The Park, covering 45,000 hectares, forms a narrow barrier between the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. To visit the Kaimai Mamaku Forest Park is to walk through a living museum of ancient and recent history.

In ancient times the Kaimai Mamaku Range was a Noah's Ark for plants, riding high above seas of ice and oceans of water. In more recent times, Maori settlers formed tracks through the range, hunted in its subtropical forest and used its plants for food and medicine. Later Europeans used the bush in much the same way but they also milled its mighty trees and dug into the hillside for gold.

The park marks the northern boundary for the red and silver beech. It is also the southernmost limit of the majestic kauri.

The public has free access to the park, and recreational facilities include 300 kilometres of tracks. Huts, shelters and picnic areas have been developed for camping, hunting, education and bush walking.

For further information on Bay of Plenty view our Bay of Plenty regional information section.

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