Boars Head Mine Track

Boars Head Mine track is closed until further notice.

The Kaitake Range is the backdrop to the township of Oakura. Take the South Road (State Highway 45) from New Plymouth.

Drive through Oakura on State Highway 45 and turn left onto Weld Road to get to Boars Head Mine Track. Allow 45 minutes walk to the mine.

Be prepared for changeable weather

Taranaki Maunga has changeable and unpredictable weather. Check the forecast and carry enough clothing and equipment to ensure you are able to cope with any type of weather, at any time of the year. The rivers and tributaries are not always bridged and some of these can flood at any time of the year.

Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki weather forecast – NIWA website

Pack warm and waterproof clothing

Be ready for any weather by packing a waterproof jacket and plenty of warm layers. Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes (tramping boots are recommended).

• What to pack for a day trip
• What to pack for an overnight trip

The lowland coastal forest of the Kaitake Range is a very different forest than that found in the rest of the Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki. The trees here are not found in the higher areas. There are nikau, titoke, kohekohe, and puriri trees. You’ll find pukeatea and karaka trees and see silver fern and a range of smaller plants.

A stand of Californian redwood trees, planted in the 1930s are protected by a special dispensation in the Egmont National Park Management Plan. Other exotic trees planted at the same time are slowly being removed to allow regeneration of native species.