River Road starts on the west side of Whirinaki River, just past the Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park entrance sign near Minginui. The metal road is narrow, sometimes rough, and runs roughly alongside and above the Whirinaki River, leading to the main car park within the forest. But, the contrast between the exotic pine forest at the start of the road, with a section of native regrowth and ending in the car park surrounded by ancient native trees makes it interesting.
The first section takes you through a mature pine forest that is being clear-felled. The effect looked devastating when we drove through, but it won’t be long before these areas are covered in native seedlings from the Minginui Nursery.
A little further on, it changes to early forest recovery, perhaps 20 to 30 years of regrowth, with the bush starting to press in on the narrow road. Drive a few more km, and there are more mature native trees. Then there is the coup de gras: the fabulous ancients as you enter the main car park!
