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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: -36.74372, 175.73436. 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 km loop
- Walking time
- 1 hr 30 min - 2 hr
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Whitianga area
- Dog access
- No dogs. 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
Once extensively logged and mined, a regenerating coastal forest now greets visitors as they walk along the Waitaia Track.
This DOC directory entry covers Waitaia Track in Waikato, within Whitianga 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: 2 km loop
- Walking time: 1 hr 30 min - 2 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.
- Waitaia Track closed; First published on 9 February 2026. Last reviewed on 14 September 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
The track crosses private land before branching into a loop track of easy gradient. It passes through regenerating coastal forest, with kanuka, treeferns, nikau, tanekaha, kauri, puriri and hard beech.
Picnic tables and seats provide convenient stopping places.
There are a number of old mining tunnels and several small stream crossings (some are bridged).
Getting there
Off Waitaia Road, 1 km south of Kūaotunu on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Know before you go
Keep to the track to avoid dangerous mine shafts in the area.
History and culture
The area was extensively logged and mined in the past. It is now part of the Project Kiwi Kuaotunu Kiwi Sanctuary.
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.
