Image: DOC
Main Tangihua ridge.
Tangihua Forest

Located in the Northland region

Tangihua Forest is a distinctive, rugged landmark of the Whangārei/Dargaville area, covering 3,000 hectares of mainly podocarp broadleaf forest and some kauri.

Tangihua Forest is halfway between Whangārei on Northland’s east coast and Dargaville on the west coast.

Your best access into Tangihua Forest is from Omana, Omana Road. The Omana Road Tangihua access car park has parking for 15 cars.

You will need to walk 30 min along a formed road to the bush line. From here, it is another 15 min until you reach Lions Lodge

Dogs are strictly prohibited on the access road and within the forest unless by special permit.

Tangihua Forest is a distinctive, rugged landmark of the Whangarei/Dargaville area, covering 3,000 hectares of mainly podocarp broadleaf forest and some kauri.

Tangihua Lions Lodge runs an education centre/lodge and conservation programme within the forest  It has led the drive to eradicate mammalian predators from the forest with assistance from WWF, Kiwis for kiwi, Northland Regional Council, DOC, the Mid-Western Lions, students and volunteers. Pest control encompasses 450 ha of native bush, with plans to eventually cover most of the Reserve.

An additional 1100 ha of private farmland adjacent to the Tangihua forest is under some form of predator control led by the Tangihua Lions Lodge with assistance from the Northland Regional Council.

Long before Europeans settled the Wairoa Basin, the Parawhau hapū inhabited this area. The Parawhau, Uriroroi and Kuihi hapū of Ngāpuhi are the kaitiaki (caretakers) of the cultural and spiritual integrity of this site. They have a strong affiliation to Ngāti Whātua.