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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: -38.66968, 176.72629. 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
- 2.16 km loop
- Walking time
- 1 hr 30 min
- 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
The Sanctuary Track is an easy loop track that goes through remnant podocarp forest. You can also walk it at night as the Whirinaki Night Life Walk.
This DOC directory entry covers Sanctuary 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: 2.16 km loop
- Walking time: 1 hr 30 min
- 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
The Forest Sanctuary protects a striking remnant of podocarp forest.
The track is an easy loop starting and ending at the Sanctuary Road car park and bridge which is on the north-east side of the Minginui Stream. The track crosses a bridge over the Minginui Stream and climbs through a number of small terraces and follows a loop before descending and returning to the bridge and car park where the track ends.
Birdlife includes rare species, North Island kaka, red and yellow crowned kakariki, kiwi, robin and kereru.
Whirinaki Night Life Walk
Explore the Night Life Walk and listen to the native creatures that venture out after dark. Many of these night 'critters' are usually difficult to see and are not often heard during the day.
Glowworms glow brightly in the darkness of night, morepork/ruru beckon ‘welcome’, weta signal their presence from the forest trees and, at the top of the track, you can often hear kiwi. Listen to the song of the short tailed bat and identify the echolocation calls of the long tailed bat.
The track starts across the bridge from the Forest Sanctuary carpark. Bright reflectors light the way up and back down the track so don't worry about getting lost at night - all you need is a torch!
Audio device and seating area half way along the track.
Getting there
Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park is 90 km south-east of Rotorua, off SH 38. The Sanctuary Track and Night Life Walk are located at the end of Sanctuary Road off Minginui Road just before Minginui Village
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.
