Tainui Heritage Trail

**Tainui Reserve and Heritage Trail **
by Debbie Walton

Tainui Reserve is part of the Heritage Walk network in the Hastings area and covers 16.4 ha. It has four entrances – Keith Sands Place which leads into a large grassy area alongside a stream. There is an entrance from the end of Keirunga Road which leads into the main gullies and uphill walking tracks; in Hikanui Drive near the Havelock North water storage tanks; and near the top of Tainui Drive itself.
There is parking available at each entrance. There are no toilets; there is one picnic table and there are occasional seats along the tracks.

The Reserve was not much used until the 1980s when a concerted effort was made to remove garden rubbish and form walking tracks. There is now a network of well used tracks and a dedicated downhill mountain bike track has been created between Hikanui Drive and Keirunga Road. An uphill
track is planned (2020).

There is a local care group which is involved in replanting and revegetation projects which are increasingly well established and improve the local environment. The care group works with the Hastings District Council to put into effect the management plan for the reserve. The reserve has a thriving bird population which includes the introduced species such as blackbird, thrush, finch and sparrows along with the native tui, piwakawaka (fantail), korimako (bellbird), kereru (wood pigeon) and riroriro (grey warblers). Ruru (Morepork) can be heard at night.

Views from the top of the reserve stretch from the southern Ruahines to the Kawekas with a glimpse of Ruapehu in the distance. More views are towards Te Mata Peak, Mt Erin and south towards Central Hawkes Bay. There are earthworks of an early Maori pa site near the Hikanui Drive entrance.

Maps are at all entrances. NB this is also an off lead dog walking reserve.

If you have an image of this reserve, please feel free to submit it here.