Discover Kaihu: Trail, crafts and history

Kaihu is a small rural settlement with no major shops. The Kaihu Valley Trail, the landscape of the Kaihu Valley and local cultural sites offer different ways to explore the area. Regional destinations in the Kaipara District may also play a role in planning your trip.

Kaihu and the Kaihu Valley Trail

The first stage of the Kaihu Valley Trail offers a 30 km route from Dargaville to Kaihu. The trail currently ends at its northern end in the settlement of Kaihu. Another route description gives 20 km for the return trip between Mamaranui and Kaihu. The figures refer to different routes: the first describes the connection between Dargaville and Kaihu, while the second explicitly describes a return trip. This makes it possible to understand the distances without treating them as the same route.

The trail is part of the Heartland Rides/Kauri Coast Cycleway. It passes through the agricultural landscape of the Kaihu Valley and follows the Kaihu River in places. In general, it follows a historic railway line built in 1896 to serve the Kauri industry between Dargaville and Donnellys Crossing. The route thus brings together landscape and industrial history: today’s trail follows a former rail connection whose construction was linked to the Kauri industry.

The official opening of the first stage was celebrated on a Saturday, 10 June, with a blessing and the ribbon-cutting ceremony by Ahikiwi Marae.

Crafts and protected sites in Kaihu

Nelson's Kaihu Kauri Gallery is located in Kaihu on State Highway 12. The gallery showcases wood art, pottery, hand-blown glass, greenstone and paua. The selection therefore spans a range of materials and craft forms. If you are interested in crafts, this offers a different way to connect with Kaihu than the trail: the focus is on the works on display and their materials.

Local historic sites also have different protection classifications. Kaihu Tavern is a Category 2 historic place listed for protection. It is privately owned and not open to the public. Kaihu Catholic Church on Wood Road is listed as a Category A protected item in the current Kaipara District Plan. These details describe the status of the two sites; they are not an invitation to enter them.

Getting your bearings in the settlement and the wider area

Kaihu’s rural character is important for practical planning: it is a small settlement with no major shops. The nearest petrol station to Trounson Kauri Park is 9 km south, in Kaihu. This distance refers to the park and the petrol station, not to a general route within the settlement.

More destinations in the Kaipara District

The Kai Iwi Lakes are near Kaihu and within the wider Kaipara District destination. They are located in a 538-hectare recreation reserve with clear-water, white-sand freshwater dune lakes. Possible activities include swimming, kayaking, fishing, boating and water skiing. Check water conditions and safety requirements before taking part.

Trounson Kauri Park is also in the Kaipara District. The 586-hectare reserve includes Kauri forest and a predator-free mainland “island” habitat. Since 1995, the park has been managed as a Mainland Island to restore native biodiversity and give visitors a sense of original Kauri forest. Threatened species in the park include the North Island brown kiwi, Kūkupa, pekapeka bats and Kauri snails. These nature and conservation themes belong to the wider Kaipara District and should be distinguished from Kaihu’s local features.

If you are looking for hotels in Kaihu, first consider whether your trip is focused mainly on Kaihu and the Kaihu Valley Trail, or whether you also want to include other destinations in the Kaipara District.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Dargaville, Maungaturoto, Baylys Beach, Mangawhai, Paparoa, Donnellys Crossing, Kaiwaka

For the wider travel overview: Kaipara District.