Department of Conservation - Hawke's Bay

09/09/2026

Te Manu Rongonui o Te Tau/Bird of the Year voting has officially opened! DOCHB staff have voted on our own manu to support. Can you guess which manu it is? Here are some clues – comment your guess!
1. This manu nests on the forest floor atop mountain ranges, but its favourite foods are crustaceans, fish, and squid. ⛰️🦐
2. In the summer, this manu returns to Aotearoa to nest, but in winter it travels to California, Peru and Chile.✈️
3. This manu lays a single egg which takes 47 days to hatch.🐣

02/09/2026

Bird of the Year voting opens this Friday! 🦅🐧🦆
Stay tuned to find out which manu DOCHB is backing ... 👀

01/09/2026

📢Te Puia Lodge & Campsite are becoming bookable!📢

Te Puia Lodge can be booked from the 1st October. If you are visiting through September, please continue to use the current ticket system.

Prices will also be changing. These changes reflect the high use of these facilities, and the work that DOC puts into keeping them up to scratch💪.

Make bookings and check price change details on the Te Puia Lodge page on the DOC website:
https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/hawkes-bay/places/kaweka-forest-park/things-to-do/huts/te-puia-hut-lodge/

31/08/2026

⚠️ Track Closure - White Pine Top Loop

Strong winds have resulted in several tree falls across White Pine Bush and Kaweka Forest Park.

A fallen tree has severely damaged a section of boardwalk on the White Pine Top Loop, requiring a complete rebuild. As a result, part of the loop is currently closed.

🚫 Please do not walk through the closed section.
✅ Barriers and signage are in place for your safety.

We appreciate your understanding while repairs are assessed and planned.

31/08/2026

Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua!

A small community in rural Hawke's Bay is working hard to restore a large area of precious native bush that's home to one of New Zealand's largest Totara trees, a colony of threatened long tail bats and a rare native mistletoe.

31/08/2026

What a beautiful day at A'Deanes Bush on Sunday! An amazing turn-out from the community. Awesome mahi Friends of A'Deane's Bush!

27/08/2026

Kia ora e te whānau! Not sure what to do this weekend? What about getting outside and doing some good for te taiao at A'Deanes Bush in Central Hawke's Bay!
Join a community planting day run by Friends of A'Deane's Bush from 10am-12pm on Sunday, including a sausage sizzle for lunch! We'll bring the kai if you bring the vibes! 🧑‍🌾🌭🌱

09/07/2026

🌿 We have several projects under way across Hawke’s Bay to bring popular visitor sites back into use and improve the visitor experience, including:

🚧 Shine Falls – Track restoration work started this week! A karakia was held to mark the beginning of the project. Please stay away from the area while the track is closed. Multiple hazards remain and contractors are on site.

🏕️ Glenfalls Campground – In collaboration with Hineuru Iwi Trust, work has started to clean up the campground. Further improvements are planned over the coming months as we work towards reopening the site for camping this summer. We are planning to hold a community event shortly to hear what whanau and the community would like to see at the campground going forward.

🅿️ Bell Rock – A site for a new car park has been identified away from the narrow, winding road. This will provide safer parking and improve access to the area. Construction is planned for later this year.

02/07/2026

After a reason to enjoy a walk on the coast? Checkout the Save the Dotterels training day.

07/05/2026

Following significant deterioration of the Ahuriri Estuary boardwalk that joins onto Meeanee Quay opposite Nott Street, it is currently being removed.

The path remains open but may become inaccessible during high tides, in which case the alternative track along Embankment road can be used.