Tararua Forest Park | |
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![]() Otaki River near Otaki Forks | |
Location | North Island, New Zealand |
Nearest city | Palmerston North / Upper Hutt |
Coordinates | 40°50′S 175°23′E / 40.83°S 175.39°E |
Area | 114,993 hectares (284,150 acres) |
Established | 1954 |
Governing body | Department of Conservation |
Tararua Forest Park, often called the Tararuas is a protected area in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its area is 1,150 square kilometres (440 sq mi),[1] and its highest point, a peak called Mitre, is at 1571 m above sea level. It was established in 1954, as New Zealand's first Forest Park,[2] and is managed by the Department of Conservation (DOC) under the Conservation Act. Tararua Forest Park includes more than three-quarters of the Tararua Range, and its boundaries extend north from New Zealand State Highway 2.[3]