Hinewai is an ecological restoration project on Banks Peninsula, privately owned and managed by the Maurice White Native Forest Trust, but freely open to the public on foot.
Hinewai Reserve occupies 1250 hectares in the south-eastern corner of Banks Peninsula on the South Island’s east coast. The reserve lies east of the town of Akaroa.
Initially 109 hectares were purchased by the Maurice White Native Forest Trust in 1987. Since then the trust has greatly enlarged the reserve through the purchase of Ōtānerito Station in 1991 and through several subsequent additions. Since 2016 the trust has also looked after the adjacent 192 hectare Purple Peak Curry Reserve, after its purchase in that year by the New Zealand Native Forest Restoration Trust.
Donations
Donations may be made by Direct Credit to 02-0832-0044225-00.
Swift Address: BKNZNZ22 Bank of New Zealand, Wellington
If you would like a receipt and you are not already on our mailing list please contact our Treasurer, Bruce Hansen (bahansen@xtra.co.nz) to arrange that.
Caution
Everyone is welcome to walk our track network, at your own risk. Some hazards inevitably exist in such steep wild terrain. We put in a lot of effort to ensure that visitors' experiences are as safe as we can reasonably make them, but please take care. Parents should be aware that many of the tracks may be unsuitable for very small children. Young children must be kept under close supervision and told not to touch any traps.
Special Alert
In December 2021 Hinewai suffered a major rain event which sent huge landslides into and down the streams, cut tracks, swept away bridges, destroyed boundary fences etc. Many routes from the Visitor Centre are now walkable again, but it will take several more months to restore the entire walking network. Current information is available at the Visitor Centre when you arrive.
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