Moki Track: Walking Guide, Time & Access

Route overview

The track was developed with wheelbarrows, picks and shovels as early as 1910. Both ends of the track pass through some 3 km of farmland before entering the forest, which contains good stands of tawa, kamahi and rimu.

This DOC directory entry covers Moki Track in Taranaki, within Moki and Makino Conservation Areas. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.

Distance, time and grade

• Distance: 18 km one way
• Walking time: 8 hr
• DOC grade: Advanced

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.

Seasonal restrictions

The track is closed from 1 August to 31 October each year for the lambing season.

Dog access

Dogs with a DOC permit only. Contact closest DOC office to get a permit. Other pets on conservation land rules.

Description

Access to the western end of the track is from the north side of Moki Road/Waitara River bridge.

The eastern end of the track starts at the end of the formed Moki Road, south of the airstrip on farmland.

Gates should be left as found and stock undisturbed.

The track goes through Makino Conservation Area, generally following the south bank of the upper Waitara River.

The track began as a surveyed road alignment that was to be developed to service the rehabilitation farms of soldiers after the First World War.

Three farms were established in the valley; the remains of two homesteads can be seen along the eastern end of the track. Land that was cleared is now regenerating.

The track follows generally easy grades and is levelled along most of its 18 km length. This work was done with wheelbarrows, picks and shovels as early as 1910. The terrain is rough and suspension bridges cross five of the deeper chasms. Expect mud. Both ends of the track pass through some 3 km of farmland before entering the forest, which contains good stands of tawa, kamahi and rimu.

A return trip is necessary, unless prior transport arrangements have been made.

Getting there

This track is located 65 km north of New Plymouth via Uruti Road. It links the eastern and western ends of the unformed Moki Road.

More detailed information about the area can be found on map NZTopo50 sheet BH31.

Know before you go

• Keep to the track.

• Get local advice on track and weather conditions before setting out.

• Take warm clothes, including hat and gloves and waterproof raincoat.

Mountain biking on this track is no longer suitable due to erosion, slips and deterioration of the original benched track.

Dogs

Dogs are prohibited except where authorisation has been granted by DOC. People wishing to take a dog into this area need to get a permit from the local DOC office and have a current kiwi aversion certificate.

Avian awareness and avoidance training

To take dogs across private property, or tracks crossing farmland, you must get permission from the landowner.

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.