Walk #194, 11th April 2026

Otanewainuku rises to 640m high and is covered in virgin forest. A loop track leads to the lookout tower which is too overgrown to give spectacular views. We were fortunate while up there to meet Patricia, a fit and inspirational local who regularly climbs the track to the summit for exercise.

We started the track clockwise and met a little robin on our way up. There are kiwi in the forest as well.

The walk was done the day before Cyclone Vaianu arrived in the Bay of Plenty. We did the Rimu Loop walk on 17th December 2025.

Walk: Bay of Plenty 10

Links

Ōtanewainuku Forest

Otanewainuku Ecological District

Kiwi Trust:
LEGEND

Meaning of name Ōtānewainuku:
This sacred mountain of Waitaha is 645m high with many settlements located on and around
it. Ōtānewainuku is the headwater of many local streams and its name means “the many
waters that spring forth from the domain of Tāne (the god of the forests)”. Another definition
is “the mountain of the parting waters, where the clouds meet the land, and the rain leaves the
sky.” Source: waitaha-iwi.org.nz