The forest walk through the Heritage Track at Shakespear Regional Park is a loop that begins at the car park immediately in front of you as you enter the park, past the turn down to Te Haruhi Bay.
The track has two main sections; the first is through native forest surrounded by a predator-proof fence, and the second is across farm paddocks to the highest point in the park, before looping back to the car park.
The forest section is a mix of old puriri trees and regenerating native forest, helped by substantial planting, including kauri trees. Tree identification is aided by a good number of signs along the path. The track follows a gully with a stream, and after about 10 minutes, you reach a pretty waterfall in quite a large natural amphitheatre. This waterfall is best viewed after recent rain as it largely dries out during long spells without rainfall.
But what makes this track interesting is the old puriri trees, many of which are twisted into an amazing array of multifaceted gnarled shapes. Along with the short forest walk at Long Bay Regional Park, this is one of the best places to see puriri.
