Initially we came for the waterfall, which is Northland’s highest at 46m, but it’s the forest that will stay with me. The forest has wild jungle vibes and as it’s a little off the beaten track you’ll probably be wandering it alone.
The atmosphere is magical and it’s a wonderful place for a leisurely stroll that allows you to fully immerse yourself in nature. On one side of the loop track there is also the chance to see the incredible kauri trees, which are among the most ancient in the world.
It’s an easy walk, with a few short hills which we’ll go into more detail on below.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Taheke Falls Walk, one of our favourite things to do in Whangarei.
The Taheke Falls Walk
The stats
Distance: 3.5km for the full loop or 1.4km return to the waterfall viewpoint
Elevation: 160m for the full loop
Difficulty: Easy
Time taken: 1 hour
Starting the trail to Taheke Falls Lookout
To reach the trailhead you will need to walk for 350m along the gravel road from the car park, but as it’s a dedicated kiwi zone no cars use the road so it’s not unpleasant. You’ll then pass through the Kauri dieback cleaning station before heading straight into the forest.
The gravel path takes you gently uphill through the forest for the next 230m before coming to a junction. Heading right will take you to the lookout platform over the falls, which is just 120m away.
It’s a gentle descent and then you will be able to view the top of the falls.
I’ll admit that it wasn’t the view I was expecting. I’d seen pictures where you could see the whole waterfall, whereas this lookout is slightly obscured by bush and only allows a view of the smaller upper falls. The view over the river and surrounding forest is gorgeous, just not quite what I’d had in my mind.
I found out later that there used to be a lower viewing platform offering a great view of the whole waterfall, which sadly had to be closed due to a landslide.
Seeing Taheke Falls is nice enough but it’s the remainder of the walk, known as the Kauri Loop, which is really special. Even if you don’t want to do the whole 2km loop, even walking a portion of it is very much worthwhile.
Continuing into the wilds
You’ll walk a few hundred metres beyond the junction before you meet the start of the loop. I’d recommend heading clockwise.
There is one short sharp hill which is easy to go up when heading clockwise, but could be slippery coming down. Descending on the clockwise route is all on stairs and really easy.
Taking the path clockwise you have roughly 500m of completely flat trail on a really well maintained path, we didn’t encounter any mud despite most of the other trails we did around Whangarei having plenty! You’ll pass through a beautiful patch of tall tree ferns before you start to enter what feels like tropical forest.
You’ll find palms, hanging vines and plenty of epiphytes. It’s glorious and has such an untamed feel to it. The easy well maintained path also means you can fully take it all in as you’re not constantly scanning for rocks and tree roots to avoid. I absolutely loved it, it’s just so peaceful and relaxing.
After roughly 500m you’ll reach the hill. It’s just 250m of climbing and then you’re at the top. It’s relatively steep and though there are a few stairs, some of it is on damp soil and leaf litter, which is why we recommend going up it where there is very little chance of slipping.
Onto the Kauri spotting
The next section of the loop sees the vegetation change again. It’s doesn’t have those tropical vibes anymore but plenty of beautiful trees, including some of those wonderful Kauris.
There may have been a few Kauri trees before this section but it was only here that we started to notice them. There’s not boardwalk or railings so it’s a very natural experience and all the better for it (although seeing the nearby Kauri in the A. H. Reed Memorial Kauri Park is also not to be missed).
The track heads downhill but it’s very gentle and there are no muddy or slippery parts. It continues to be a really relaxing stroll. The trees are mainly regenerating Kauri but there were a few big mature ones too.
To be honest this was our first time ever seeing Kauri before, having only ever seen them in photos, so we only really recognised the large ones. But either way it’s a fantastic forest to walk through, a delight from start to finish.
After roughly half a kilometre you begin descending through the forest on a series of well made staircases.
There was plenty of birdlife along this section and it’s just 250m before you are back to the start of the loop again.
You then have roughly 800m back to the car park again.
Protecting the Kauri trees
Sadly Kauri trees are under threat from Kauri dieback disease which is spread through soil carried on dirty footwear or animals etc. Always use the provided cleaning stations to disinfect your boots and never leave the trail in a forest that contains Kauri trees. All the equipment you need and info is available wherever you find Kauri.
Getting to Taheke Falls
Taheke Falls are located just under 15km and a 20 minute drive from Whangarei. Part of the road is gravel, but it’s in good condition and suitable for any cars (at time of writing). The car park is a 350m walk from the start of the trail.
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