Windy Canyon is a canyon and associated

walking track A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

Great Barrier Island Great Barrier Island ( mi, Aotea) lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, north-east of central Auckland. With an area of it is the sixth-largest island of New Zealand and fourth-largest in the main chain. Its highest point, Mount Hobson ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. Located in the centre east of the island, the canyon is a wind funnel shaped from

andesitic Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomin ...

rock. The canyon is located on one of the highest stretches of the island, less than 200 m below the 621 m summit of Mount Hobson (the highest point of the island).Mount Hobson, Hirakimata
(from the Tourism New Zealand website for Great Barrier Island) From the canyon it is possible to view the Okiwi and Awana lowlands (north and south, respectively, of the canyon).Palmers Track via Windy Canyon
(from the

DOC DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to: In film and television * ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series * ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom * "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode * ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...

website) Palmers Track winds through the canyon, with the first part of the track (rising from the Okiwi-Claris road in the east) being

boardwalk A boardwalk (alternatively board walk, boarded path, or promenade) is an elevated footpath, walkway, or causeway built with wooden planks that enables pedestrians to cross wet, fragile, or marshy land. They are also in effect a low type of brid ...

ed, and equipped with wooden stairs to allow access (15 minutes' walk) to the ridge. From there, the track leads further west to Mount Hobson (''Hirakimatā''). This part of Palmers Track is a medium-difficulty track (3–4 hours' walk return).

References

Canyons and gorges of New Zealand Hiking and tramping tracks in New Zealand Great Barrier Island Landforms of the Auckland Region Rock formations of the Auckland Region {{Auckland-geo-stub