It was an amazing sight pulling up to the car park and being surrounded by the big Redwood trees. The Whakarewarewa forest is located 5 minutes out of Rotorua, New Zealand on 5600 hectares made up of native and exotic trees. Part of this forest are the breathtaking Californian Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) which were planted in 1901. These towering trees stand at approximately 219 feet (67 metres) tall. The forest park is suitable for walking, running, cycling and horse riding.
The night before we decided to do the walk It had rained quite a lot, so the tracks were quite wet. However this did not deter us or the many other visitors that walked, ran or cycled through the forest.
We decided to walk the Waitawa track. The track information map said it would take about an hour to walk this track. As this track is family friendly, we decided it suited our needs, as we had a baby in a push chair. This track was reasonably flat and in very good condition so was very easy walking. Being in among those big trees along with the native bush was only further enhanced by the overnight rain.
While the tracks were a bit wet, most of the rain had drained away leaving only puddles, which delighted our youngest member. The overhead cloud peeping through the trees, also provided some great photo opportunities.
It was very exciting to come across a memorial to Mary Sutherland who was the first woman forestry graduate in the world. She graduated in 1916 and came out to New Zealand and started working in the forest industry in 1923 - quite awe inspiring. Next door to the plaque is a memorial tree in her honour.
Whether you are looking for something to do while in Rotorua, this is well worth a visit. They also have a evening treetops walk, where you walk elevated among the big trees. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do next time.
Remember - take only photos and leave only footprints.
Redwoods Forest info
Reads great. Love the bit about Mary Sutherland. Very inspiring.