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Key facts
- Distance
- 4 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 1 hr 30 min return
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Herekino Forest
- Dog access
- Dogs with a DOC permit for recreational hunting or management purposes only. 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
Kaitaia Walkway is closed.
This DOC directory entry covers Kaitaia Walkway - short walk in Northland, within Herekino Forest. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 4 km return via same track
- Walking time: 1 hr 30 min return
- DOC grade: Easiest
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.
- Kaitaia Walkway closed; First published on 12 October 2021. Last reviewed on 16 September 2026.
Dog access
Dogs with a DOC permit for recreational hunting or management purposes only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This is an easy bush walk through broadleaf and podocarp forest along an old formed roadway. In summer, the lush forest canopy provides cooling shade.
After about 30 minute you come to a junction:
A 20-minute return walk up a steep narrow track takes you to a stunning kauri grove. Strewn on the forest floor underneath the kauri are pieces of kauri bark and you can take a moment to study their amazing shapes and patterns.
A 15-minute return track takes you to a lookout point over the forest.
From here you can continue the Kaitaia Walkway - route to Diggers Valley.
Getting there
You can find the walkway entrance by travelling south from Kaitaia on SH 1 for about 3 km. Turn right onto Larmer Road and follow it to its end. The track is signposted.
The exit of the walkway is at Veza Road, off Diggers Valley Road.
History and culture
The Kaitaia Walkway is a tribute to local ancestors. Dug by hand during the early part of the 20th century, it was originally planned as a road in from Kaitaia to Diggers Valley. The gentle grade, even over the saddle is a tribute to the ability of the early surveyors.
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.
