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Kohutapu Lodge - Bare Kiwi

BareKiwi - Kohutapu Lodge | Whirinaki Forest Footsteps

Kiwi adventurer BareKiwi took the Road Less Travelled and discovered the heartland of the Whakatāne district.

Kohutapu Lodge

"This place was a surprise and a half, because when you get to Galatea there’s some farmland, there’s some forestry, and more farmland. Then you drive down their driveway and it opens up to a stunning location overlooking Lake Aniwaniwa. Kohutapu Lodge is super high end - just like what you would expect from somewhere like Queenstown. But the best part is not the location or the setting, it’s the people. The hospitality is amazing and Nadine is a natural. You can’t train people to host like that. What’s refreshing though is it wasn’t put on for us. I know tour bus drivers who have visited the place, and they all said it was the friendliest place they used to stay on tour. That’s impressive considering these drivers have been everywhere! Kohutapu is a perfect gateway to the Whirinaki. We were briefed on what was coming up, and it made the experience that much more special.”

"But the best part is not the location or the setting, it’s the people."

Surrounded by lush farmlands and forestry, Kohutapu Lodge overlooks the pristine Lake Aniwaniwa.

Whirinaki Forest Footsteps

“This place – Whirinaki-te-Pua a Tane – was just magical. It’s another world, as both the forest and bird life was like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life. My guide, Himi, led me through the forest to a towering 1,000 year old Totara tree. Along the way Himi foraged for berries, explaining what each one was. This introduction to the Whirinaki Forest cemented the fact that I had to see The Canyon of Toi for myself.”

The Whirinaki Rainforest - a majestic, ancient and spiritual realm. Join us for a guided walking journey into the heart of this vast, Jurassic, podocarp rain forest. 

Local iwi (tribe) Ngāti Whare is the active kaitiaki (guardian) of the park working with the Department of Conservation (DOC) to protect the natural, cultural, and historic resources for the benefit of future generations...

We invited Kiwi adventurer BareKiwi to the Whakatāne district, asked him to bring his camera, introduced him some of the locals, and these are the epic results.  

"...the Rangitāiki experience is just so spectacularly beautiful and perfect for any ability level."

"It’s almost best described as something spiritual. It might sound silly but my favourite part was just sitting down over a cup of bush tea for a chat." 

"Slowing down lets you talk to the locals, take in the majesty of the place – it’s like nowhere else."