Walk Details

NZ Walking Routes > Hawkes Bay > Puketitiri Reserves walks

Puketitiri Reserves walks

Location

The reserves are all located off Puketitiri Road, at Puketitiri, one hour's drive from Napier. They are all near to Kaweka Forest Park.

Description

Hutchinson Scenic Reserve (20 mins)

The reserve entrance and picnic area is adjacent to the DOC Puketitiri Field Centre. There is a pleasant 20 minute grassed loop walk through open forest and clearings, including groves of cabbage trees.

Ball's Clearing Scenic Reserve (10 – 40 mins)

There is no better place in Hawke’s Bay to experience a lowland podocarp forest than Balls Clearing Scenic Reserve, located 5 km from Puketitiri along the Pakaututu Road. This outstanding example of dense virgin podocarp forest is best seen from the network of walking tracks that vary in time from 10 to 40 minutes. Photography, birdwatching and natural history studies are appropriate activities here. It’s also a good place to view our native nocturnal long tailed bat. Picnic shelters are provided at the reserve entrance as well as a large grassed area, toilets and water. Please note that no fires or camping are allowed.

Little Bush (45 mins)

Little Bush refers to the smaller area of native forest remaining from the extensive earlier firing. This contrasts with Ball’s Clearing Forest which was earlier referred to as Big Bush. It is a private reserve, open to the public at all times. Access is off Little Bush Road, off Puketitiri Road. A 45 minute circular track passes through the regenerating forest of abundant ferns, climbers and native orchids. The low forest canopy enables rewarding bird watching. The more common birds are tui and piwakawaka (fantail) but also present are korimako (bellbird) and kereru (wood pigeon).

William Hartree Memorial Scenic Reserve ( 20 mins to 1 hr)

Keep a look out for the directional roadside sign 6 km past Patoka on the left. The network of tracks ranging from 20 minutes to a one hour walk gives a good insight into the varied regenerating vegetation.

Level

Easy

Amenities

• Birds
• Historical
• Picnics
• Plant Life
• Toilets

Source

www.doc.govt.nz

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