Windy Canyon & Palmers Track

Windy Canyon is one of Aotea / Great Barrier Island’s most popular short walks — and for good reason. The track takes you up a series of steps through dramatic sheer rock walls carved by ancient forces, leading to breathtaking views in every direction.

From the top of the canyon, you can look north across the Okiwi Basin and the sweeping sands of Whangapoua Beach and estuary, while to the east you’ll see Kaitoke and Medlands Beaches. Many visitors choose to continue from here along Palmers Track — the shortest and easiest route to the summit of Hirakimatā / Mount Hobson.

As Palmers Track follows the ridgeline, the scenery shifts constantly before the final steep climb, assisted by boardwalks, staircases, and an impressive system of steps designed to protect native wildlife and fragile habitats. Along the way, you’ll spot regenerating forest and hardy prostrate kānuka, an endemic plant unique to Aotea.

A reminder of the island’s logging history still stands on the ridge — the old “wooden horse”, once used to winch logs from the eastern slopes up to the saddle before sending them down the other side to the sea.

At the summit of Hirakimatā, you’ll be at the heart of a precious sanctuary for native wildlife. Rare species including the black petrel, North Island robin, tomtit, and kākāriki thrive here, and you may hear kākā calling overhead. Keep an eye out for the tiny native sundews and the beautiful Great Barrier tree daisy, both found in this high-altitude ecosystem.

The track begins at the top of Whangapoua Hill on Aotea Road.

Keep an eye out for black petrel

Once widespread across mainland New Zealand, these remarkable burrow-nesting seabirds now breed only here on Aotea / Great Barrier Island and on Hauturu / Little Barrier Island. Their main colony is located on the slopes of Hirakimatā from October to May each year. After the breeding season, adults travel vast distances across the Pacific — some reaching as far as South America — before returning home to nest again.

Have a look at the Aotea Track map here!