Raetea Forest - Mangamuka Track

This Forest Park is part of Te Araroa, the long trail. A walk in a park, certainly, but not an easy walk in an easy park.

It is the first Northland sector to go inland, and into bush, after a long trek (if going southbound) along Ninety mile beach.

The pure ruggedness of the forest is growing in fame with the number of walkers who brave the track, with pet names like 'the jungle of hell' being attached to the original virgin Northland Bush. Perhaps a place to go to learn respect for Maori and pioneers who built tracks and cleared land when the whole of Northland was dressed in such foliage.

The first sector (southbound), is a sometimes muddy, climb to the trig, where there is a solar powered cell site, an unusual, but forgivable structure in the bush. The tower saved the life of a German tramper who fell down a 20m waterfall in the dark and was able to call for help.

It turns out the next section is the one that inspires the furious feelings in trampers, a clay 4WD track along the tops, which can turn very heavy and stick to boots. There is no water up here. The downhill is through farmland and considered an easier home straight, with the end at the Ratea Reserve, Mangamuka, where there are some beautiful swimming holes on the Mangamuka River.

If you don't find the forest challenging, set your mind to solving the case of the toilet flue theives, who repeatedly took the 'odour chimneys' from the Raetea Reserve's new composting toilets in 2011. The offender or offenders for this remain at large...

Image Credit: Ron Clark Mangamuka, Auckland Libraries Special Collections