Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest: Rotorua’s Most Underrated Attraction

The California coastal redwoods at Whakarewarewa Forest were planted as a forestry trial in 1901 to assess which tree species might work commercially in New Zealand’s North Island. The trial was eventually abandoned as uneconomic, the trees grew well but the harvest wasn’t practical at scale. What the forestry experiment left behind is a stand of 60-70 metre trees, now 125 years old, with a canopy dense enough that heavy Rotorua rain barely reaches the ground. The commercial failure produced one of the best forests to walk in New Zealand.

Most visitors to Rotorua spend their time at the geothermal parks and Maori cultural villages. The Redwoods forest, 3 km from the city centre on Long Mile Road, tends to get a half-hour on the way to or from the airport. That is not enough. The California coastal redwoods planted here in 1901 as a forestry trial now stand 60-70 metres tall, the canopy dense enough that rain barely reaches the ground. On a grey Rotorua day - and there are plenty of those - this is where you should be.

The Forest Itself

Walking trails cover around 120 km of track. The Great Walk loop (about 2.5 km) takes 45 minutes and passes through the oldest and tallest sections of the redwood grove. It is flat, wheelchair accessible in good conditions, and does not require a map. The longer Tokorangi Pa loop (6 km, 2 hours) climbs out of the redwoods into native podocarp forest and gives you a different experience entirely: tui in the canopy, ferns the height of a person, and almost no other walkers.

The forest is free to walk. Parking at the main Redwoods Visitor Centre costs $2/hour.

Treewalk is a separate ticketed experience: a series of suspension bridges 12 metres above the forest floor, linking platforms built around the redwood trunks. Night glowworm walks run after dark, when the bridges are lit with low-level LEDs and the occasional glowworm appears in the moss below. Prices run around $35 for the daytime walk, $45 for the night walk. Book online - it sells out on summer weekends.

Mountain biking: Whakarewarewa is one of the best trail networks in the southern hemisphere for intermediate and advanced riders. The Jump Park and Huckleberry Trail sections are specific attractions. Rentals are available from Crater Lakes Cyclery on Fenton Street. Expect to pay NZ$55-70 for a half-day hire.

A Second Entry Point Most People Miss

The forest has multiple trailheads. Most visitors enter through the main Redwoods Visitor Centre gate. The Waipa Valley trailhead on the south side of the forest (accessible via Waipa State Mill Road) is quieter, has its own car park, and connects to the trail network without the 10-minute walk from the main entrance. On peak days this makes a meaningful difference.

Nearby: Te Puia and Government Gardens

Te Puia sits on the edge of Whakarewarewa geothermal valley, 2 km from the forest entrance. The geysers here include Pohutu, New Zealand’s largest active geyser, which erupts up to 20 times a day to a height of 30 metres. Entry is NZ$75 for adults. The Maori Arts and Crafts Institute within Te Puia runs training programmes in ta moko (tattooing), weaving, and carving - you can watch students working, which feels more genuine than a rehearsed cultural show.

Government Gardens in central Rotorua are free and pleasant for a walk. The Rotorua Museum (in the old bathhouse building) has been closed since 2019 due to earthquake strengthening work; check current status before visiting.

Eating

The Redwoods Cafe at the visitor centre is genuinely good, not a standard tourist cafeteria. The cabinet food (filled rolls, slices, muffins) uses local ingredients and the coffee is made on proper equipment. Breakfast here before a morning walk is a solid plan.

Abracadabra Cafe Bar (Amohau Street, central Rotorua): eclectic menu, strong coffee, good cabinet food, locally popular. About 10 minutes from the forest.

Atticus Finch (Eat Streat, Rotorua): the eat street area can be hit or miss but Atticus Finch consistently does good burgers and craft beer. Skip the more tourist-facing chains on the same strip.

Mitai Maori Village offers a hangi meal (earth-cooked) as part of their evening cultural experience. NZ$135 per person includes the show and dinner. The food is decent, the cultural content is good, the glowworm walk at the end is included and genuinely worth it.

Staying in Rotorua

Rotorua’s accommodation fills fast in summer (December-February) and during school holidays. Book 6-8 weeks ahead for those periods.

• Regent of Rotorua (Central Rotorua): reliable mid-range, some rooms have been recently renovated, lake view from upper floors.
• Rotorua Central Backpackers: well-run hostel 10 minutes on foot from the forest, good common areas, reliable wifi.
• Thermal Holiday Park: on the edge of the geothermal zone, some sites have natural thermal ground heat. Unusual and memorable for the right traveller.

When to Go

April and May are the best months: school holiday crowds have cleared, the autumn colour in the surrounding deciduous plantings catches the redwood green nicely, and the weather is more stable than summer. July and August bring cold mornings but the forest is beautiful in mist. Summer is busiest; go on a weekday morning if you have the flexibility.

Sandfly repellent matters in the damp sections of the trail. The ones near the creek are the worst. Bring it.