A Dog-Friendly Bush Walk in Tuatapere, Southland.

15 February 2019

If you ever find yourself in Tuatapere and in need of a place to take your dog for a walk, make sure to visit the beautiful scenic reserve tucked away on the fringes of this small town.

The sign along the main road doesn’t give much away, but turn off onto Elder Drive just after the Waiau River bridge heading towards Te Anau, and you will find a lovely loop track that allows dogs on-leash.

Tuatapere Scenic Reserve surrounds the domain and borders the Waiau River and a tributary creek. It features a network of tracks, including a 20-minute loop that takes you through a lowland remnant forest with beech trees and large podocarps including tōtara.

There are multiple entrances to the track, which are usually marked by a green Department of Conservation sign. The walk is mostly flat with a gravel surface and the odd muddy steps (particularly if there is rain), so you will need shoes with a bit of traction.

The reserve is home to an old tōtara tree that towers over the track. The tree is well worth a visit, being 2.5 metres wide and over a thousand years old. In summer, you can also see scarlet miseltoe in flower, which is a beautiful sight. Keep an eye out for pīwakawaka (fantails) and listen for korimako (bellbirds) and tūī.

All in all, we had a great time doing this walk — even if we all came out of it a bit wet and muddy.

Bonus walk — The Tui Trail!

At the entrance to the domain (next to the boat ramp), you will also find a pathway called the Tui Trail.

This follows the Waiau River down to the State Highway 99 bridge where you cross over to continue along the other side of the River, right down to the bottom of Sneyd Street.

It’s another chance to walk through the native forest, while checking out the Waiau River, which has a light brown colour due to tannin stains from the local forest.