Tararua Forest Park, often called the Tararuas is a
protected area in the
Wellington region
Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is a non-unitary region of New Zealand that occupies the southernmost part of the North Island. The region covers an area of , and has a population of
T ...
of
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 ...
. Its area is , and its highest point, a peak called
Mitre
The mitre (Commonwealth English) (; Greek: μίτρα, "headband" or "turban") or miter (American English; see spelling differences), is a type of headgear now known as the traditional, ceremonial headdress of bishops and certain abbots in ...
, is at 1571 m above sea level. It was established in 1954, as New Zealand's first
Forest Park, and is managed by the
Department of Conservation
An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...
(DOC) under the
Conservation Act
The Conservation Act 1987 is New Zealand's principal act concerning the conservation of indigenous biodiversity. The Act established the Department of Conservation (who administer the Act) and Fish and Game, and complements the National Park ...
. Tararua Forest Park includes more than three-quarters of the
Tararua Range
The Tararua Range, often referred to as the Tararua Ranges or Tararua, is one of several mountain ranges in the North Island of New Zealand.
The Tararua Range runs northeast–southwest for from near Palmerston North to the upper reaches of ...
, and its boundaries extend north from
New Zealand State Highway 2
State Highway 2 (SH 2) runs north–south through eastern parts of the North Island of New Zealand from the outskirts of Auckland to Wellington. It runs through Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings and Masterton. It is the second-longest hi ...
.
Project Kaka
A DOC project launched in 2010, named Project Kaka aims to reduce numbers of rats, stoats and possums over 22,000 ha of the park. The pests will be controlled by aerial drops of 1080 poison with the goal of restoring native plant, insects and birds including
kaka,
kakariki and
kereru. The project involves the use of
sodium fluoroacetate
Sodium fluoroacetate is an organofluorine chemical compound with the formula FCH2CO2Na. This colourless salt has a taste similar to that of sodium chloride and is used as a rodenticide.
History and production
The effectiveness of sodium fluoroa ...
(1080), trapping and wildlife monitoring. In 2013, DOC found that the programme had led to a "significant increase in the call counts of several bird species". However, further research indicates that rat numbers can be fully re-established within 30 months of poisoning.
Shorman's-Kaitoke
Shorman's-Kaitoke is a tramping route within the Tararua Forest Park. It starts at Putara in the north-east, near a farm or track previously called Shorman and finishes at Kaitoke in the south. The classic route follows the tops of almost the entire Tararua main range, it is approximately 80 km long with 7000 to 8000 metres of ascent and descent. There is virtually no level ground nor straight sections of track and the whole route is very exposed to the frequent storms that sweep across the Tararuas. An unofficially recognised challenge amongst Wellington trampers is to complete this route in less than two days either supported or self-sufficient. An alternative route follows valleys along a fault line, the surface trace of the Tararua section of the
Wellington Fault, to the east of the main range. This stays within the Tararua Forest Park but involves much less ascent and avoids bad weather on the mountaintops.
Weather
Wind at higher elevations can be severe (more so than many other places in New Zealand). Trampers should be aware of this. Walking bent over with your hands close to the ground is one technique to deal with severe winds.
See also
*
Forest Parks of New Zealand
Conservation park is a type of specially protected status for land held by the Crown in New Zealand for conservation purposes. The status is set up under the Conservation Act 1987 and the parks are administered by the Department of Conservation (D ...
References
{{Reflist
Forest parks of New Zealand
Protected areas of the Wellington Region