Some areas on or near the path are closed to prevent the spread of kauri dieback. Read more about how to Protect our kauri trees.
Starts at 36 Kauri Road, Birkenhead
Connect with nature in the Fernglen Native Plant Gardens in Birkenhead, home to a unique collection of New Zealand native ferns and plants.
Inside the entrance gate are a series of paths that meander through rockeries and gardens. You will see native plants from around the New Zealand botanical region, from the Kermadec Islands in the north to the Sub-Antarctic Islands in the south. The fern house is worth a visit to see some of the more difficult-to-grow plants, including the rare Prince of Wales feather fern.
The rock garden consists of a selection of native ground covers, grasses, sedges, coastal shrubs, hebe, coastal daisies and sub-alpine dracophyllums. There are plants from the Chathams, Poor Knights and Three Kings Islands.
The bush walk can be accessed by a track just above the Education Room. The track leads down a slope to Canal Track, named after the canal which once carried water from the stream to a hand-dug pond at the far end of the track.
Descend from the Canal Track and cross the stream on a boardwalk. The track rises onto Ben’s Ridge, an old paddock naturally regenerating on the lower slope.
Follow the loop path then retrace your steps to the boardwalk and back to the gardens.
