Last updated October 2026
On the Maungaharuru Range above Tūtira, about 800 hectares of forest are managed as if they were an offshore island. Boundary Stream Mainland Island is a Department of Conservation reserve where intensive predator control has run since 1996, and kiwi, kōkako, kākā and North Island robin have all been brought back.
The forest climbs from about 300 m to 950 m, over limestone country with caves, sinkholes and bluffs. It is reached from State Highway 2 just north of Tūtira via Matahorua Road, with car parks on Pohokura Road at the southern end and Heays Access Road at the northern end. Walks run from the one-hour Tūmanako Loop to the three-hour Bell Rock Loop.
Practical Information
- Location
- Maungaharuru Range north of Tūtira; car parks on Pohokura Road and Heays Access Road, both off Matahorua Road
- Distance from the city
- About 59 km from Hastings in a straight line; DOC puts it a one-hour drive north of Napier
- Size
- About 800 hectares (DOC brochure)
- Managed by
- Department of Conservation
- Walking times
- Tūmanako Loop 1 hr (1.4 km); Kāmahi Loop 2 hr (4.5 km); Bell Rock Loop 3 hr (5.3 km)
- Dogs
- No dogs
- Facilities
- Toilets at the Pohokura Road and Heays Access Road car parks
- Status
- Department of Conservation: Boundary Stream area page
About Boundary Stream Mainland Island
A mainland island uses intensive pest management to restore a habitat on the mainland, rather than relying on the sea to keep predators out. Boundary Stream became one in 1996, and DOC says the forest has substantially improved since then and bird numbers have risen.
Deer, pigs, goats, possums, rats, cats, stoats, ferrets, weasels and hedgehogs are all targeted, so the tracks pass traps and bait stations marked with pink and blue triangles. Leave them alone and follow the orange triangles.
DOC’s brochure calls this the largest and most intact tract of forest in the Maungaharuru Ecological District. More than 200 native plant species grow here, including threatened kākābeak, yellow-flowered mistletoe and neinei, with mountain holly on the crest and kōwhai flowering in spring.
The Kāmahi Loop passes an ancient mataī and a “ghost forest” of kāmahi that sprang up after fires about 100 years ago, which will eventually give way to slower-growing podocarps and broadleaf trees.
The reserve was pieced together over decades. Herbert Guthrie-Smith and Arthur Cunningham bought the Tūtira Block, which included Boundary Stream, in 1882, and logging and development greatly reduced the forest.
The Shine family gifted the land around the region’s highest waterfall in 1976, Boundary Stream Scenic Reserve was set up in 1979, and the Heays family’s land was added in 1984.
In January 2017 the reserves were returned to hapū under a Treaty settlement and gifted back to the people of Aotearoa a week later. Boundary Stream is part of Poutiri Ao ō Tāne, a sister project of Cape to City.
Birds Brought Back
North Island robin were reintroduced in 1998 and can now be seen throughout Boundary Stream and nearby reserves, and a kiwi reintroduction project has run since the same year. The kōkako programme began in 2001 with 10 birds from Te Urewera, and DOC counted 27 birds in 2010.
Six captive-reared kākā were released in early 2013, 29 yellow-crowned kākāriki came from Mana Island later that year, and 50 Cook’s petrel were moved from Little Barrier Island to artificial burrows in a predator-proof enclosure. Not every attempt worked: a 2004 release of North Island saddleback failed, probably because of disease, dispersal and predation.
DOC’s brochure also lists tūī, korimako (bellbird), rifleman, kererū, ruru and kārearea (New Zealand falcon), with koekoeā (long-tailed cuckoo) and pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo) visiting in summer. Kōkako song can often be heard from the Tūmanako car park. Long-tailed bats, wētā, eels and the Powelliphanta “Maungaharuru” snail, found at only a few sites, live here too.
Maungaharuru and Its History
Maungaharuru is the most sacred mountain of Ngāti Kurumōkihi. DOC tells how a tohunga on the Tākitimu canoe threw a carved wooden bird towards the range, and the mountain seemed to roar with rising birds, giving the name “rumbling mountain”.
Māori hunted and snared birds here and traded preserved birds with coastal tribes for fish, and a track along the range linked the coast with Te Urewera. DOC names Ngāti Hineuru, Ngāti Pahauwera, Ngāti Tū, Ngāti Kurumōkihi and Ngāti Whakaairi as tangata whenua.
Tracks and Lookouts
- Tūmanako Loop: 1 hour, 1.4 km. An easy loop through kāmahi, tawa and beech forest with viewpoints showing old logging and regrowth, and wētā motels along the way.
- Kāmahi Loop: 2 hours, 4.5 km. Easy grade, with steep sections that get muddy after rain. Kererū, tūī and korimako are often seen along the bluff tops.
- Bell Rock Loop: 3 hours, 5.3 km from the Pohokura Road entrance. Bell Rock is 40 minutes along the left-hand track, and the right-hand return has panoramic views including Te Kooti’s Lookout. The track crosses private land, so stay on the marked route and use the stiles.
Shine Falls, at 58 m the highest waterfall in Hawke’s Bay, is at the northern end of the reserve off Heays Access Road. The limestone has unmarked caves, shafts and sinkholes off the tracks that may be unstable: stay back and report any you find to DOC.
Wasps and ongaonga (native stinging nettle) are also present, and the weather ranges from very hot in summer to snow in winter, so pack a rain jacket, warm layers and sun protection. The final stretch of Pohokura Road is unsealed, narrow and winding.
Where to Learn More
Department of Conservation: Boundary Stream area: reserve information, history, wildlife, 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: track map, times and lengths for every walk in the area. Reserve information: Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai 2026. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a mainland island?
A mainland reserve where intensive pest control restores the habitat, so native species can thrive without the sea to keep predators out. Boundary Stream has been one since 1996.
How do I get to Boundary Stream?
Turn off State Highway 2 just north of Tūtira onto Matahorua Road, then onto Pohokura Road for the southern end or Heays Access Road for the northern end.
How long are the walks?
The Tūmanako Loop takes about 1 hour, the Kāmahi Loop 2 hours and the Bell Rock Loop 3 hours.
Can I bring my dog?
No. DOC’s brochure says no dogs.
Are there toilets?
Yes, at the Pohokura Road and Heays Access Road car parks.
What birds might I see?
North Island robin, kererū, tūī, korimako and rifleman are among them, kōkako can often be heard from the Tūmanako car park, and kārearea are often seen from viewpoints.
Can I camp at Boundary Stream?
DOC’s brochure points campers to designated sites along the Mohaka River, reached from Waitara Road, and at Lake Tūtira.
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