Lenz Reserve is in the Catlins on the Southern Scenic Route, 33 km southwest of Owaka near Tautuku Bay. Forest and Bird owns and manages the 550-ha reserve, which was acquired in the 1960s from a bequest provided by Mrs Lenz. There are several walking options, and some accommodation is provided in the Tautuku Forest Cabins.
The entrance and public parking area are almost immediately opposite the access road for the Tautuku Estuary Walk. Park in the unmarked area before the access road to Tautuku Forest Cabins, which is narrow and blocked by a locked gate.
The walking options range from a brief exploration of the forest milling history and other human activities on the site before it was taken over by Forest and Bird, a walk along a forest tramway that is being encroached by recovering forest, and then a forest loop walk. Allow about an hour for these connected walks.
There is also a much longer forest loop walk, the Long Track, some of which is graded as a route (or poorly formed track). Allow several hours to complete this.
For the short walks, follow the access road for a short distance from the car park, then the easy track to the Traill Tractor site. The site is heavily overgrown by long grass. However, an extensive series of panels describes the area's history and the background to the development of the Traill Tractor technology. Other sawmilling relics are scattered amongst the long grass, with some barely legible old signs that presumably highlight past features.
From the Traill Tractor, take the Link Track, which follows an old forestry tramway. Forest regrowth is encroaching on this narrow track, especially gorgeous clusters of mahoe (whitey wood). This leads to the Nature Walk loop track, which has many small plaques that designate and describe trees and plants along the path. Also, watch for some small fenced-off areas designed to keep out deer and other pest mammals. They demonstrate the significant difference in undergrowth between unprotected forests and protected forests.
