Last updated November 2026
Kiwi chicks spend their early lives behind a 3.3 km predator-proof fence at Lake Opouahi, growing big enough to stand a better chance against stoats before they are released into the wild. Opouahi Scenic Reserve surrounds this bush-fringed lake on Pohokura Road, between Tūtira and Boundary Stream, and is managed by the Department of Conservation.
The Opouahi Walkway circles the lake in about 40 minutes and DOC grades it easy, though parts are narrow and slippery. There is a picnic shelter and a carved whare waka (canoe shelter) by the water, and DOC lists swimming, fishing and kayaking on the lake. Kererū, tūī, fernbird, dabchick and pāteke are often easy to spot.
Practical Information
- Location
- Pohokura Road, between Tūtira and Boundary Stream; turn off State Highway 2 onto Matahorua Road just north of Tūtira, then onto Pohokura Road
- Distance from the city
- About 56 km from Hastings in a straight line
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Walking times
- Opouahi Walkway about 40 min (1.4 km loop); Thomas Bush Track 4 hr (5.4 km)
- Facilities
- Picnic shelter and a carved whare waka
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Opouahi Walkway page
About Opouahi Scenic Reserve
The reserve sits in limestone country on Pohokura Road, close to the Boundary Stream Mainland Island. Its centrepiece is Lake Opouahi, which DOC describes as “idyllic”, with the walkway running around the shore through the bush. Maungaharuru-Tangitū Trust has described the reserve as “home to many of our indigenous plant and animal species”, including rongoā (medicinal plants) and kiwi.
Birdlife is a big part of a visit. DOC says kererū, tūī, fernbird, fantails, dabchicks and pāteke (brown teal) are “often easily seen”. In the evenings starlings roost at the site, and DOC warns that you may notice the “aromatic areas” where they gather.
DOC lists swimming, fishing and kayaking on the lake, and links its water advice for each from the walkway page. The picnic shelter and the whare waka, with its carvings, are beside the lake.
The Opouahi Kiwi Crèche
Only about 5 percent of kiwi chicks survive to adulthood in the wild, DOC says, mostly because of predators. The Opouahi Kiwi Crèche gives chicks a protected place to grow until they reach a weight with a better chance of surviving a stoat attack, and DOC’s Boundary Stream brochure puts that weight at 900 g.
The crèche has run since 2008 inside the reserve’s 3.3 km predator-proof fence, and the young kiwi are then released into Kaweka Forest Park to boost wild North Island brown kiwi numbers.
Cyclone Gabrielle tested the crèche in February 2023. It caused major slips inside the crèche, more than 200 sheep got in through two openings in the fence, and nine kiwi chicks were rescued.
The Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust (ECOED) finished the fence repairs in March 2023, and the first chicks were back in the crèche by December that year.
Walking Around the Lake
The Opouahi Walkway is a 1.4 km loop that takes about 40 minutes. DOC grades it easy, but parts are narrow, slippery and overgrown, and a slip could mean a fall into the lake, so take care, keep children close and turn back if you’re not confident. DOC advises against walking it during very heavy rain because of the higher risk of landslides.
Halfway round, the Thomas Bush Track branches off and ends at the top Opouahi exit gate. DOC’s brochure gives it 4 hours and 5.4 km, and DOC says the track within Thomas Bush is no longer maintained.
As elsewhere in this limestone country, there are unmarked caves, shafts and sinkholes off the tracks that may be unstable, and wasps and ongaonga (native stinging nettle) are present. The last stretch of road is unsealed, narrow and winding, with steep sections: DOC suggests keeping left with your headlights on.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Opouahi Walkway: walk information, the kiwi crèche, directions, alerts and status. Reserve information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Department of Conservation: Boundary Stream Mainland Island brochure: map of Opouahi and the neighbouring Boundary Stream tracks, with times and lengths. Reserve information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Opouahi Scenic Reserve?
On Pohokura Road between Tūtira and Boundary Stream, reached from State Highway 2 via Matahorua Road. It is about 56 km from Hastings in a straight line.
How long is the walk around Lake Opouahi?
The Opouahi Walkway is a 1.4 km loop that takes about 40 minutes. DOC grades it easy, though some parts are narrow and slippery.
Can I see kiwi at Opouahi?
The kiwi crèche is inside a predator-proof fence, where chicks are raised to about 900 g before release into Kaweka Forest Park. DOC’s pages describe the crèche but do not mention public kiwi viewing.
Can I swim or kayak in the lake?
DOC lists swimming, fishing and kayaking at Lake Opouahi. Check DOC’s water advice before you go in.
What facilities are there?
A picnic shelter and a carved whare waka (canoe shelter) by the lake.
What birds might I see?
DOC says kererū, tūī, fernbird, fantails, dabchicks and pāteke are often easily seen.
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