Te Maire
Introduction
In 1986 Te Maire became part of Whanganui National Park, although it's been a scenic reserve since 1925. This is a prime example of lowland rainforest on the Whanganui River and is doubly precious because of its rarity. Most lowland forest throughout New Zealand was cleared for sheep and cattle farming.
Features
Biodiversity
Te Maire Reserve is a fine example of the Podocarp forest that once covered most of the Central North Island. Te Maire sits within the Whanganui National park which protects one of the largest remaining stretches of this forest type in New Zealand.
Thismia rodwayi
It is home to a mosaic of native trees including rimu, miro, totara, kahikatea, matai, rewarewa, hinau and tawa. It is also home to the rare subterranean plant Thismia rodwayi which due to the fact that it can only be found when flowering is rarely seen.
Threats
DOC as part of its management of Te Maire undertakes regular pest control. The forest suffers from the destructive effects of pests with goats browsing the forest floor and possums eating the forest canopy. Goats and possums have a major impact on the vegetation and DOC manages these numbers through various methods of hunting and laying bait stations. Stoats, ferrets, rats, mice, feral cats, hedgehogs and magpies also threaten native wildlife in the reserve.
Location
Te Maire is located in the Whanganui River Valley, south of Taumarunui.
Getting there
From Taumarunui, take State Highway 43 from the north side of the Ongarue River Bridge. The Te Maire Bridge over the Whanganui River is 12 km south of Taumarunui Hospital. Across the bridge follow Paparoa Road to Te Maire Valley Road, signposted "Whanganui National Park, Te Maire". The entrance to the track is located approximately 700 metres along this road.
Activities
Bird and wildlife watching
Child/family friendly activities
Bird and wildlife watching
There is a vast array of native birds in the reserve including robins, kereru, grey warbler, shining cuckoo and long tailed cuckoo. There are several varieties of skinks and geckoes and an abundance of invertebrates and freshwater insects. In the Te Maire stream there is tuna, bully and koura, in recent times there have been lamprey, kokopu and black flounder.
Child/family friendly activities
This walk is suitable for people of all ages and is a great introduction to bushwalking. It was designed with children and young families in mind.
Places to stay
The closest town is Taumarunui, which offers a wide variety of accommodation.
Plan and prepare
Location map
