Brynderwyn Hills Walk
Alert/Important notice
Cove Rd to Cullen closed all week. Cullen to Artillery Rd is closed all days except Sunday due to forestry contractors working in the vicinity of the track.
Track category
Tramping track
Description
Western Entrance
Time: 2 hr - 3 hr 30 min
Distance: 10 km
Follow the orange marker posts leading past the Forest Manager's residence and through farmland. You pass below a transmitter station and the track leads you over undulating ground through a pine block. From here, you can get excellent views northward to Whangarei Heads, Bream Bay and out to sea.
View from the Brynderwyn track
The track then skirts around the top of a large quarry owned by Maungaturoto Transport. From the quarry, the track continues along the ridge, through a flimsy wire gate on an old logging road. Please be aware that these logging roads can be muddy in places especially after rain. The road travels above a basin of native bush then the walkway drops off the road steeply (16-25 degree slope) down steps until you reach the bush clad valley floor and a stream. Walking time to the stream from State Highway 1 is approximately 1.5 hours.
The track then meanders along the valley through native bush before widening into a logging road. The logging road climbs from the valley, through pines and onto the major ridge of the Brynderwyns. At the high point, a metalled track winds out to the Massey Road entrance. Massey Road to SH1 entrance is 7 km and takes about 3 hours.
From Massey Road, you can visit the highest point on the Brynderwyns at Trig 1579 (397 metres, a hill known as Marunui). This takes 1 hour up a metalled windy track and then onto a forestry road.
Eastern Entrance
Time: 2 hr - 3 hr
Distance: 6 km
The walkway climbs quite steeply at first through regenerating vegetation then joins a graded farm track. Views of the sea quickly appear and later you can see Mangawhai estuary and the Hen and Chicken Islands. From here, the road skirts around gullies past regenerating bush and up quite steeply over a spur. As you reach the Trig at 276 metres you can get magnificent views in every direction. From Bream Tail Scenic Reserve to the Trig takes 1 hour.
Getting there
Views of Whangarei Heads from the
Brynderwyns
The Brynderwyn range is one of the most prominent geographical features between Whangarei and Auckland. The Brynderwyn hills stretch from the Mangawhai Heads on the east coast nearly halfway to the eastern arms of the Kaipara Harbour. You can access the Brynderwyn Hills Walkway from the western or the eastern end.
Western end
The walkway begins at the summit of the Brynderwyn Hills on State Highway 1 opposite the building at the summit (293 metres elevation). The entrance sign and carparking area identifies the beginning of the walkway with orange marker posts. You can exit the western section at Massey Road, which is about 8 km from SH 1 off Glenmohr or South Road (in Waipu).
Eastern end
The eastern entrance of the walkway is on the Waipu Cove Road just by the Bream Tail Scenic Reserve - about 7 km from the Mangawhai Heads Road junction.