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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -38.68157, 176.67289. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 6 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 3 hr
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park
- Dog access
- Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Arohaki Lagoon is one of the must see sites in the Whirinaki.
This DOC directory entry covers Arohaki Lagoon Track in Gisborne, within Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 6 km return via same track
- Walking time: 3 hr
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Aerial view of Arohaki LagoonImage: David Finn | DOC
The track starts at the Arohaki Lagoon car park, adjacent to River Road, following an old disued hauling track in a westerly direction before descending and crossing the Waiatiu Stream.
The track follows a spur and climbs to a terrace before continuing west and reaching a viewing platform at Arohaki Lagoon at the end of the track.
The ephemeral lagoon (rain-fed) is surrounded by towering kahikatea and is often alive with frogs - and in times of drought, appears to dry up. Even so, it remains an interesting place to visit.
Getting there
Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park is 90 km south-east of Rotorua. Access to Arohaki Lagoon is via River road, off Old Te Whaiti Road, to the Arohaki Lagoon carpark.
Know before you go
A reasonable level of fitness is required as the terrain ranges from steep uplands to flats.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
