Remutaka Forest Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Remutaka Forest Park |
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IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
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Catchpool Valley
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 Remutaka Forest Park
Location in New Zealand
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| Location | North Island, New Zealand |
| Nearest city | Lower Hutt |
| Area | 22,000 hectares (54,000 acres) |
| Established | 1972 |
| Governing body | Department of Conservation |
Remutaka Forest Park is a special protected area near Wellington, New Zealand. It's a fantastic place for outdoor adventures and exploring nature! The park covers about 220 square kilometers (that's 22,000 hectares). It includes the beautiful Catchpool Valley and the Orongorongo Valley, which are at the southern end of the Remutaka Range.
The park was created in 1972. It has many short walking trails and six huts where you can stay overnight if you book them. You can reach these huts by going on longer bush walks. Remutaka Forest Park is part of a bigger network of conservation areas. It shares borders with the Pakuratahi Forest and the Tararua Range.
Inside the park, you'll find the Remutaka Rail Trail. This used to be a railway line from 1878 to 1955. Now, it's a popular path for mountain biking and walking.
In 2017, the name of the park (and the mountain range) officially changed from "Rimutaka" to "Remutaka." This change happened after an agreement with local Māori groups, Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua.
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Amazing Animals and Plants
Did you know a very rare fungus called boletopsis nothofagi lives here? It's only found in two places in the world, and the Orongorongo Valley in this park is one of them!
Helping Kiwi Thrive
One of the most exciting things about Remutaka Forest Park is its growing population of North Island brown kiwi. These amazing native birds are endangered, but thanks to a special program, their numbers are increasing here!
The kiwi live in a special area in the northern part of the park called the Turere catchment kiwi zone. Volunteers help by carefully moving kiwi eggs to places like the Pukaha / Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre. Here, the eggs hatch, and the young kiwi grow up safe and strong.
Once they are big enough, these young kiwi are brought back to the park. This program is working really well! In 2014, experts listened to the sounds in the park and found that more than 100 kiwi were living there. That's a huge jump from the 10 kiwi that were first released!
To keep the kiwi safe, dogs are not allowed in the kiwi zone. There's a special area in Catchpool Valley where dogs can run off-leash, but there are rules for other parts of the park.
Fun Things to Do
Remutaka Forest Park is a popular spot for people from the surrounding Wellington and Wairarapa areas.
Exploring the Rail Trail
In the northern part of the park, the Remutaka Rail Trail is a favorite for walkers and mountain bikers. It's usually easier to start from the road north of Upper Hutt because the path is less steep on that side. The Rimutaka Incline is on the eastern side of the summit. You can get to it by road, south of Featherston, at a place called Cross Creek.
Backcountry Adventures
The park's backcountry hills are great for longer hiking trips that can last several days. Some people also go hunting in these areas. The Orongorongo Valley has a number of private huts that people can use.
Camping and Picnics
At the Catchpool entrance, south of Lower Hutt, you'll find two camping areas. There are also outdoor BBQs and flushing toilets, making it a great spot for a day trip or an overnight stay.
Thinking About Bringing Back Moa
The park was once part of a discussion about a very interesting idea: bringing back the extinct moa. A local politician named Trevor Mallard suggested supporting an attempt to "de-extinct" the moa. This means trying to bring an extinct animal back to life, perhaps 50 to 100 years in the future.
