Whakatane: Cultural History, Art and Nature Trails

Whakatane brings together local cultural history, things to explore in the town centre and natural attractions in the surrounding area. The different themes can help with planning: the museum and art gallery offer a different focus from historic town trails or longer routes through the landscape.

Museum, Taonga and Art

The Whakatāne Museum’s collection and research facility, Te Whare Taonga o Taketake Whakatāne, preserves more than 600,000 objects. This figure may change as cataloguing progresses. The Māori taonga collection includes significant examples from Ngāti Awa. On site and increasingly online, the museum offers a wide range of resources and services for researchers, students and the public.

The museum presents current and upcoming exhibitions in the Te Kōputu a te Whanga a Toi and Te Whare Taonga o Taketake galleries; the exhibition programme changes. Whakatāne Art Gallery has four spaces for contemporary art exhibitions, with changing displays. Another cultural point of reference is Otuawhaki, which is of great importance to Ngāti Awa as a fishing ground and place of learning.

Town Trails with Different Themes

The Kiwi Wandering Trail is a self-guided treasure hunt through central Whakatane featuring ten life-size bronze kiwis. It starts at Te Kōputu a Te Whanga a Toi and ends at Wairaka Centennial Park. The route is about 1.6 kilometres long and takes around an hour there and back; allow extra time for stops. As the start and end points may change, check the latest route information before your visit.

The Historic Trail runs through the town centre and along the riverbank. Map markers point out its places of interest, and most stops also have information panels. The town trails therefore have different focuses: the Kiwi Wandering Trail centres on the bronze kiwis and the treasure hunt, while the Historic Trail focuses on marked historic sites and their explanations.

Parks and Longer Routes

Wairaka Centennial Park at Whakatāne Heads lies on the Whakatāne River and is considered a family-friendly recreation destination. Its facilities include a slide inspired by Whakaari, several climbing frames and water fountains. Playground features may change; check the current situation before your visit.

Nearby, the Ngā Tapuwae o Toi Walkway follows the clifftop above Whakatane and passes several pā sites. The best starting point is the Whakatāne end of Mokorua Gorge on the Pacific Coast Highway. You can walk the trail in sections or complete the 16-kilometre loop; five to seven hours are given for the full route. By comparison, the Kiwi Wandering Trail takes about an hour there and back, making it a much shorter outing. Check trail conditions and access before your trip.

Mokorua Bush Scenic Reserve is also nearby. Kiwis were first released there in 2009. Their calls are best heard in the first two hours after sunset; sightings are not guaranteed. The Whakatāne Kiwi Trust’s Kiwi Hub shares information about the North Island brown kiwi and conservation work in local reserves. The children’s corner has nature-related activities. The Kiwi Hub is behind the Whakatāne isite building at 144 The Strand. Information and operating arrangements may change, so check current opening arrangements before visiting.

The Wider Area: Whakatane District

Whakatane District has more than 50 kilometres of coastline. Te Urewera accounts for about 40 percent of the District’s 4,400 square kilometres. These figures refer to the wider area, not Whakatane town alone. The fertile Rangitāiki Plains are also part of Whakatane District; kiwifruit, olives, citrus fruits, avocados and a wide variety of berries are grown there. This helps distinguish the local museum themes and town trails from the District’s broader landscape and agricultural features.

Discover more destinations: Matata, Murupara, Minginui, Edgecumbe, Ohope, Awakeri, Nukuhou, Taneatua.

For the wider travel overview: Whakatane District.