Located in the East Coast region
Morere Springs Scenic Reserve has a variety of birdlife, including tui, bellbird, kereru and shining cuckoo.
Mangaone Caves offers visitors an excellent, easily accessible first time caving experience close to Gisborne.
This small, tranquil reserve is known for its plants, in particular, its giant puka. The reserve is very small, and is ideal for a quick break or a family mini-adventure in the bush.
This reserve is 4 km east of Wairoa. Turn off SH2 onto Waiatai Road – the reserve is 200 m along the road.
The Mōrere Hot Springs is at the main entrance to the Mōrere Springs Scenic Reserve on SH2, 52 km south of Gisborne and 15 km north of Nuhaka.
Mangaone Caves is on Mangaone Rd which is off SH2 between Mōrere and Nuhaka (5 km south of the Mōrere Springs Scenic Reserve main entrance).
If you enter the reserve through the Mōrere Hot Springs, you'll need to pay the entry fees.
There is no lifeguard on duty at the pools
If you're not using the hot springs facilities, you can access the tracks via Tunanui Road.
Take care around the carpark as the road can be busy and visibility is limited leaving the carpark driving back onto the state highway.
Rare in the world of hot springs, the Mōrere springs produce 250,000 litres a day of hot ancient sea water. Mōrere's mineral waters have long been sought for their therapeutic properties.
Open Wednesday to Monday. Entry fees and more information on the Mōrere Hot Springs Facebook page.
This reserve is one of the last remaining tracts of coastal native forest on the East Coast. Predominant and striking throughout the reserve are the dramatic shapes of juvenile and mature nikau palms. Other species cloaking the hills which surround the springs are kohekohe and tawa, rimu, totara and matai.
It's home to a wide variety of birdlife including tui, bellbird, kereru and shining cuckoo.
Culturally significant to tāngata whenua, this area hosts the largest puka tree in the world and features Māori pits, wahi tapu (sacred places) and a burial site for a local rangatira (high-ranking people). Local legend tells the story of the local tohunga (expert) Tahutoria, who cared for seven whales in this area. He shared his name with the first of the whales.
| Turanganui-a-Kiwa / Gisborne Office | |
| Phone: | +64 6 869 0460 |
| Fax: | +64 4 471 1117 |
| Email: | gisborne@doc.govt.nz |
| Address: |
63 Carnarvon Street Gisborne 4010 |
| Postal Address: |
PO Box 668 Gisborne 4040 |
| Full office details | |