In 1840 around two thirds of New Zealand was still covered in virgin forest. Over the next 140 years this provided the basis for a strong indigenous timber industry. In 1946 Pureora Forest was one of the last native forests to be opened up for logging.

DOC manages several historic attractions within the park including:

* The treetop protest site – One of New Zealand’s most significant conservation battles took place at Pureora in 1978
* The former mill village – a range of workers houses dating from 1947
* Logging machinery – such as a steam log hauler and an early crawler tractor.

The park preserves the last remnants of extensive native podocarp forests that once covered most of the central North Island. When deep under the canopy of these ancient trees, it’s easy to imagine primeval New Zealand as it existed thousands of years ago.

Choose one of the various walking and mountain biking tracks within the park and discover historic relics while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Getting there:

The park lies between Te Kuiti, Taumarunui and Lake Taupo and is easily accessed by State Highways 30,32 and 4.