Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Poutini National Park NZ

The Pakihi Walk is a very short and easy climb through attractive forest and kiwi habitat, to a viewpoint on a hill.

Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park

I passed the sign for the very short Pakihi Walk driving from Franz Joseph Glacier to Okarito, otherwise I wouldn’t have known about it. We were operating in a short weather window during three days of forecasted rain, and decided to stop and do the walk because we might not get to do much else! It turned out to be an attractive if not spectacular walk that is worth doing if driving to Okarito as it’s just at the roadside. The highlight is the forest, (kiwi habitat apparently), but there are also modest views from the end of the walk.

Track notes at the end. You might also like to do the nearby Okarito Trig Walk

Pakihi Walk: The Scenery

Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park
A restored logging/mining tractor train at the start of the track.

Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park

Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park
Very nice forest on the way up.
Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park
Views out to the coast.
Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park
A pleasingly shaped fern.
Pakihi Walk, Westland Tai Pouhini National Park
I liked how moss colonised the walls of the track.

Track Notes

An easy walk through attractive forest to a viewpoint on a hill. There’s more information on the DOC website

Okarito Walks Mao
The Okarito Trig walk and Pakihi Walk are both on constructed obvious tracks and both involve some uphill walking. The Pakihi Walk is very short.

Author: Edward Hathway

I'm a clinical psychologist and keen hiker.

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