Kahurangi National Park

Kahurangi National Park Review

The wild Kahurangi National Park spans 1.1 million acres of untamed wilderness, and includes fern-clad forests, rocky rivers, rolling tussock-covered hills, limestone landscapes (made famous in The Lord of the Rings movies), rugged snowcapped mountains, and wind-blown beaches pounded by West Coast surf. The park is laced with 570 km (353 mi) of hiking tracks of various levels of difficulty; there are also several rafting and kayaking rivers and some serious caving areas, especially toward the West Coast. Of the various entry points to the park, one of the most convenient is 35 km (21 mi) west of Takaka, south of the town of Collingwood. This is also the northern head of the Heaphy Track. The Department of Conservation Golden Bay Area Office provides local trail maps.