Te Urewera

About

Covering over 2000km² of lush forest, Te Urewera isn’t just a national park, it’s a legal personhood. The historic home of the Tūhoe Māori (tribe), the area was one of the last to be colonized by the British and remains largely uninhabited to this day. According to legend a Māori chief was out hunting and rolled over his campfire while sleeping, and thus the area was named “Burnt Penis”. The centerpiece of the park is the beautiful Lake Waikaremoana, which formed around 2200 years ago when a massive landslide blocked the river. A number of hiking trails work their way through the lush native forest, which is home to nearly every bird species in New Zealand, from a 20-minute walk to the picturesque Aniwaniwa Falls to the four-day Lake Waikaremoana Track – one of New Zealand’s Great Walks.