By Outdoor Next Editorial standards
On this page
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: -35.28942, 174.08240. 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
- 1.5 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 1 hr
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Paihia area
- 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
A pleasant walk through regenerating forest to a lookout that offers stunning views over Waitangi, the Bay of Islands and Russell.
This DOC directory entry covers Paihia School Road Track in Northland, within Paihia area. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 1.5 km return via same track
- Walking time: 1 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 for recreational hunting or management purposes only. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
Once at the lookout you will have stunning views to Waitangi, across Motumairie (one of the islands off Paihia) to Russell then over the Russell Peninsula to Cape Brett and Ipipiri, the eastern Bay of Islands.
If you want to walk for a further two hours, carry on along the Oromahoe Traverse, which joins the Paihia School Road Track.
Just a short stroll along Oromahoe Road to your right will take you to the Opua Kauri Walk, an easy walk through kauri trees.
Getting there
You can start the Paihia School Road Track at the far end of School Road, Paihia. The track starts 700 metres from the Paihia township.
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.
