Ancient Red Beech Trees in Hinewai Reserve
Located at the southern end of the Hinewai Reserve West Track on Banks Peninsula, you'll find some of the best-preserved red beech trees (tawhairaunui) in the area. These towering trees, reaching up to 35 metres, are a glimpse into the peninsula's forested past before land clearance for farming began.
A Unique Forest Experience
As you walk through this part of the reserve, you'll notice the sparse undergrowth, which contrasts sharply with the dense shrubs and smaller trees in the surrounding recovering forest. You can wander quite freely among the trees, an opportunity that is not so common in both old and regrowth forests throughout New Zealand.
Exploring the Track
The track continues through the forest, offering two options for your walk. You can either descend to the low point at the east end of the reserve, where you'll need a car waiting or face a 450-metre hike back uphill. Alternatively, you can return to the visitor centre. Along the way, you can also see a waterfall, visit a viewpoint over the reserve and discover an ancient tōtara tree.
Getting to Hinewai Reserve
To reach Hinewai Reserve, from Akaroa, take State Highway 75 a short distance north, then turn east onto Long Bay Road. This climbs up the crater rim to an intersection of Summit Road and Brocheries Road, then crosses over and heads down towards the coast. You will see the small car park and access gate to the reserve on the right. The drive is 8.5 km and will take 13 minutes, on a sealed but winding road.
Other places to explore from Summit Road include Le Bons Bay, Okains Bay and Okains Bay Museum, Little Akaloa Bay and Otepatotu Reserve.
