Walk 4 Tūpari Reserve Valley Tramp

Start time: 9am
Duration: Walking time 7-8 hours, approximately 10 km with 500m of vertical
Cost: $20
Tramp
Come explore the Tūpari Reserve near the head of the Kaituna Valley. The walking route traces a spring fed tributary of the Kaituna River to its source, and is a repeat of the 2024 walk. The 500 m climb up the southern slopes of Mt Bradley and Mt Herbert/Te Ahu Pātiki covers diverse habitat: towering stands of kahikatea, mataī and tōtara, regenerating kānuka/mānuka, moss covered boulder lined streams, and tussock grasslands.

Your guides are Megan Reynolds and Mark Nixon, trustees of Mikimiki Conservation Trust who are the gaurdians of the 400 ha Tūpari Reserve. They will regale tales of their pest trapping and weeding efforts and the natural and human history of the area.

The walking track is a mixture of farm tracks and bush trails, which starts beside the Kaituna River before climbing up the valley floor. There is a steep climb to a vantage point at 560 metres with spectacular vistas before a farm track leads us back downhill. This walk has steep sections, therefore a good level or fitness and agility is required.