Carter scenic Reserve

Kahikatea Walk is a raised boardwalk through regenerating wetland and remnant of flooded forests. Visitors will observe swamp maire and small leafed hoheria. Brown mudfish and banded kokopu may be hiding beneath the vegetation, and you might even be treated to the unusual spectacle of a duck (grey teal) in a tree. Dominating the forest, Kahikatea trees draw their nutrients from the soil through a root system that extends snake-like over the surface of the swamp.

The Ruamahanga River Walk is a boardwalk through the wetlands to the river bed. The river contains brown trout and eels. A licence is needed for any fishing. A compostable toilet is located near the car park. The Carter Reserve is typical of the original Wairarapa landscape before extensive drainage and farmland altered the environment.

CARTER SCENIC RESERVE: 24 km 30 minutes drive