Last updated November 2026
At the end of a narrow, winding gravel road on the Māhia Peninsula, 374 hectares of forest climb to a trig station 397 m above the sea.
Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve lies 7 km south of Māhia Beach on Kinikini Road and is managed by the Department of Conservation. DOC calls its tawa and kohekohe forest “one of the best examples of semi coastal forest” on the east coast of the North Island.
A loop track of about 3.5 km takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, with a lookout over the Wairoa coast, stream crossings and a picnic table halfway round.
The reserve is about 53 km south of Gisborne in a straight line, so a visit makes a day trip from the city. The site’s Māhia Peninsula day trip guide covers the beaches and the rest of the peninsula.
Practical Information
- Location
- Kinikini Road, 7 km south of Māhia Beach, Māhia Peninsula (Wairoa District)
- Distance from the city
- About 53 km south of Gisborne in a straight line
- Size
- 374 hectares (Visit Wairoa)
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Walking times
- Loop track about 3.5 km, about 2 hr 30 min
- Dogs
- No dogs
- Rules
- Dogs, firearms and camping are prohibited
- Facilities
- Picnic table in a clearing beside the stream, about halfway round the loop
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve Track page
- Track markers
- On marked bush tracks, DOC and most councils use orange triangles for the walking route. Triangles or tape in other colours, usually pink or blue, mark pest-control lines and traps. They can lead off the track, so don’t follow them.
About Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve
The reserve protects a block of native forest on the Māhia Peninsula. Visit Wairoa describes the canopy as a mix of tawa, kohekohe, podocarps (rimu, matai and kahikatea) and hardwoods. Below it grows a sub-canopy of tarata, karaka, mahoe, ngaio, cabbage trees and lancewood, and DOC adds stands of nikau and a stream lined with ferns.
Rewarewa, the New Zealand honeysuckle, is common here and flowers in November and December. Visit Wairoa also points to the “abundant bird life”, naming fantails and native pigeons among the birds you may see or hear.
The reserve has a conservation story of its own. Visit Wairoa says it was first set up by the Gisborne branch of the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society in 1981, when the land was classified as a scenic reserve. Today it sits in DOC’s Wairoa area, and the highest point is the Te Kapu trig station at 397 m.
The Loop Track
A single loop of about 3.5 km takes in the forest, the stream and the high point. DOC gives 2 hours 30 minutes and describes the track as steep in places but “not difficult for someone of average fitness”, and suitable for older children.
Visit Wairoa notes steps, trail markers and stream crossings, says the track can be slippery when wet, and passes on the local advice that walking it anticlockwise is easier.
Wear sturdy footwear: DOC warns that you will get your feet wet at the stream crossings. Follow only the orange triangle markers. DOC explains that markers of other colours show biodiversity work areas, not walking tracks.
From the lookout, DOC says the views take in the Wairoa coast and the reserve itself, and Visit Wairoa says the summit at Te Kapu looks out over the peninsula.
Halfway round, a clearing holds a picnic table beside the stream. In summer German wasps are common along the track, and DOC suggests people with a wasp sting allergy visit at another time of year.
Getting There
From Wairoa, Visit Wairoa’s directions follow State Highway 2 towards Gisborne, then go on through Nuhaka and Opoutama to Māhia and around to Taylor’s Bay. The reserve is 7 km south of Māhia Beach along Kinikini Road, which DOC describes as “narrow, winding and unsealed”; Visit Wairoa notes the road is marked NO EXIT.
Dogs, firearms and camping are not allowed in the reserve. Visit Wairoa asks visitors to follow the Environmental Care Code, Toitu te whenua.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve Track: reserve and track information and status. Reserve information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Visit Wairoa: Mahia Scenic Reserve: the reserve’s forest, birds, history, rules and directions from Wairoa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Mahia Peninsula Scenic Reserve?
On Kinikini Road, 7 km south of Māhia Beach on the Māhia Peninsula, about 53 km south of Gisborne in a straight line.
How long is the loop track?
About 3.5 km, and DOC gives about 2 hours 30 minutes to walk it.
How hard is the walk?
DOC says it is steep in places but not difficult for someone of average fitness, and suitable for older children. Expect stream crossings and wet feet.
Can I bring my dog?
No. Dogs, firearms and camping are all prohibited in the reserve.
What is the road like?
DOC describes Kinikini Road as narrow, winding and unsealed.
What will I see?
Tawa and kohekohe forest with nikau, rimu and rewarewa, a fern-lined stream, birds such as fantails and native pigeons, and views of the Wairoa coast and the peninsula from the top.
When is a good time to go?
Rewarewa flowers in November and December. German wasps are common on the track in summer, so DOC suggests people with a sting allergy visit at another time.
Who looks after the reserve?
The Department of Conservation. Visit Wairoa says the reserve was first set up by the Gisborne branch of Forest and Bird in 1981.
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