Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest

Whakarewarewa Forest: Giant Californian Redwoods in the Middle of New Zealand

The redwoods at Whakarewarewa were planted in 1901 as a forestry trial by the New Zealand government. The experiment was to find which imported species grew fastest for timber use. The Californian coast redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) that won the informal competition are now over 70 metres tall, the timber angle was never seriously developed, and what exists instead is a 130-kilometre mountain bike trail network that consistently ranks among the best in the Southern Hemisphere. The forest is 3 kilometres from Rotorua’s town centre; it is one of the better things to do in a city that already has geysers, hot springs, and active volcanoes as competition.

The Treewalk

The headline attraction: a series of suspended bridges and platforms woven through the upper canopy at heights of up to 12 metres, with the redwood trunks rising another 60 metres above you. Daytime entry costs NZD 38 for adults; the night walk (with illuminated lanterns by designer David Trubridge hanging at different heights through the canopy) runs from dusk at NZD 49. The night walk is genuinely the better version, assuming you are comfortable with heights in low light. The forest at night, lit by those lanterns, is extraordinary in a way the daytime version isn’t.

Book ahead in summer (December through February) because the night walk sells out most evenings.

Mountain Biking

Around 130 kilometres of marked trails across all skill levels. Green and blue trails suit recreational riders; black-grade tracks involve drops, jumps, and technical roots. The Rotorua Mountain Bike Centre at the forest entrance rents full-suspension bikes from around NZD 70 per half day. The volcanic pumice soil drains exceptionally well and the trails ride well even in wet weather, which distinguishes the Whaka trails from most forest systems in wet climates.

The Rotorua Ride Guide is the most useful trail map for first-time visitors. Download it rather than relying on signage at trail intersections.

Walking Trails

For walkers, the Pohaturoa Track is a 1.5-kilometre loop through the heart of the redwood grove, 30 minutes, easy, good for families. The tall trunks with their fissured red-brown bark and the high canopy filtering the light create an atmosphere genuinely different from the surrounding New Zealand bush.

The Two Whakarewarewas

Worth clarifying before you arrive: there are two entities with the Whakarewarewa name. The forest is one. The other is the Whakarewarewa Living Maori Village, a 10-minute walk away, where Te Arawa Maori people still live and work around active geothermal vents. The village offers guided tours (around NZD 35) including hangi food preparation and carving demonstrations. The sight of boiling mud pools and geothermal fumaroles within metres of residential houses is what distinguishes it from the Te Puia cultural centre (a different, more commercially-oriented operation nearby on the same volcanic field). Both are worth a visit but the Living Village is the more authentic encounter.

Eating and Staying

Atticus Finch on Hinemoa Street is the best cafe in Rotorua for breakfast, with good coffee and serious attention to local ingredients. Gets busy on weekends but rarely has a long wait.

For a hangi meal, Te Puia’s restaurant offers a guided hangi experience at certain times: touristy but the food is genuine.

Rydges Rotorua is the reliable mid-range hotel in town, around NZD 150 per night, with an indoor pool.

Practical Notes

The sulphur smell from Rotorua’s geothermal activity is pervasive throughout the city. You either stop noticing it after a few hours or you never stop noticing it; there is no middle position.

The forest entrance (501 Long Mile Road) is open 24 hours; the Treewalk and visitor centre have set hours (check the website). Car park is free. Sandflies near the water sections can be aggressive; DEET repellent is more effective than natural alternatives.

Go early. By 9am on any school holiday weekday, the Treewalk area is filling. At 8am you might have the redwood canopy largely to yourself.