In need of a quick bush (forest) fix? Not too far down the road from where I live, is an area of the Kaimai Mamuku Forest Park called Aongatete. There are a bunch of different walking tracks you can access from the car park + this is also the site of the Aongatete Outdoor Education Centre.

There is an amazing restoration programme happening here, called the Aongatete Forest Project. Their aim is to restore 500 hectares of native forest, by using pest control to kill the introduced predators such as ship rats, mice, possums, mustelids and feral cats all of which devastate our native bird 🕊🦇 populations. Watch this short video here to learn more on the impact possums are having on our native forests.

The short loop is really the perfect beginner #forestfamily walk as it takes ~1 hour with the kids and has a real adventurous almost “back country bush” feel to it.

Here is a short video taster of what you can expect. The kids are aged between 5 and 7 year old kids, but I have been walking this loop with my kids since they were a babies in the back pack.

If you liked this then don’t forget to subscribe! Follow the link below.

Find us on social media – forestfamilynz 😍