Last updated October 2026
Whareora is a rural locality in the Whangarei District, reached from Whangārei along Whareora Road. It is a stretch of country road, side roads and paddocks rather than a township, with a trust-run cemetery and a long association with the kauri forest on the way out from the city.
Published directions take Whareora Road past the junction with Mt Tiger Road, then turn into Parahaki Parish Road for the cemetery.
A H Reed Memorial Park, on Whareora Road closer to the city, is the best-known public place on this route, but the reserve is temporarily closed for kauri protection. Everyday shops and services are back in Whangārei. The locality suits people driving through, checking the park status before a visit, or living on rural roads.
Practical Information
- Getting there
- Drive out of Whangārei on Whareora Road. After the junction with Mt Tiger Road, Parahaki Parish Road is the next right and leads toward Whareora Cemetery.
- Nearby landmarks
- A H Reed Memorial Park and Paranui Falls on Whareora Road (the park is temporarily closed); Whareora Cemetery on Parahaki Parish Road; Abbey Caves karst between Whareora Road and Old Parua Bay Road.
About Whareora
A H Reed Memorial Park on Whareora Road, including the carpark and freedom camping site, is temporarily closed. Whangarei District Council reports that Phytophthora agathidicida, which causes kauri dieback, has been found, and the reserve is closed while further testing is done.
Do not enter the park, its walks or Paranui Falls while that closure stands. Check the council park page before you travel.
Whareora itself sits further along the road from that reserve. The New Zealand War Graves Project describes the drive from Whangārei to Whareora, then a right turn into Parahaki Parish Road after Mt Tiger Road.
Whangarei District Council lists Whareora Cemetery on Parahaki Parish Road and notes that it is run by a cemetery trust, not as one of the main council cemeteries. The published approach to the graves runs to the end of the road and then across a paddock, which fits a farming landscape more than a village centre.
There is no confirmed shopping strip or school inside the locality. People living here use Whangārei for shops, health care and most community services.
The road is also a link in the city’s river walks: the council city walks brochure sends the Hātea River Walk along the Whareora Road footpath to the carpark at A H Reed Memorial Park. That link should be treated as affected by the park closure until the council says otherwise.
When the reserve is open, council describes it as a remnant of original Northland kauri forest, with trees known to be at least 500 years old, the Wai Koromiko Stream through the middle, and Paranui Falls at over 23 metres.
The site received recreational reserve status in 1889 and was named in 1956 for the author and publisher A H Reed. Those are the features the road is known for. They are not a reason to enter a closed kauri area.
Getting Around
Whareora Road is the public route from Whangārei into the locality. Council directions for the park put the lower carpark 1.5 kilometres from the turn into Whareora Road, with further parking toward Clapham Road, so the named rural locality lies beyond that first forest edge. Mt Tiger Road and Parahaki Parish Road are the side roads named in cemetery directions.
A scheduled bus to Whareora was not confirmed. Plan on driving, or on walking only the sections of the Hātea River Walkway that the council still lists as open.
The walks brochure describes the track leaving the river, following the eastern footpath on Whareora Road, then crossing to the western side along the stream bank to the park carpark. Allow extra time and do not treat the park as a through-route while it is closed.
Getting Outdoors
The outdoors draw on this road is the kauri reserve and Paranui Falls, and both sit inside the temporary closure. Council’s usual track notes, for when the park reopens, include short loops from the lower and middle carparks, a canopy walkway among large kauri, and a steeper grade 2 walk of about 1,450 metres to lookouts over the falls.
The middle-carpark loop is described as suitable for wheelchairs. Dogs are prohibited from the loop tracks. Dogs are allowed on a leash only on the Hātea River Walkway to Whangārei Falls, which passes the western side of the park.
The district plan identifies Paranui Falls as a waterfall where Paranui Stream drops over the edge of a basalt lava flow, beside Whareora Road near the junction with Clapham Road.
The same planning record describes Abbey Caves as a small, accessible area of karst and caves on a partly underground stream, between Whareora Road and Old Parua Bay Road. Cave visits have separate hazards. Use the council’s known-hazards advice rather than treating the caves as an informal walk from Whareora.
History and Heritage
Whareora Cemetery is the clearest community landmark in the locality. It is a trust-operated cemetery, and council publishes a local contact for the trust.
The cemetery holds the official war grave of Gunner Hercules Spence, who served in the New Zealand forces in the First World War and died on 17 July 1919. NZHistory and the New Zealand War Graves Project both record that single Commonwealth burial from 1914–1918.
The forest reserve on the road in has its own paper trail. Recreational reserve status dates from 1889. The name A H Reed Memorial Park dates from 1956, recognising A H Reed’s interest in long-distance walking, the natural environment and kauri.
The present closure is a biosecurity measure, not a permanent removal of that history. A verified Māori meaning for the name Whareora, and a specific iwi affiliation for this locality alone, were not confirmed in the council, heritage and reference sources checked here, so those details are left out.
Where to Learn More
Whangarei District Council: A H Reed Memorial Park: Park description, track notes, dog rules, and the kauri dieback closure.
Whangarei District Council: Trust-operated cemeteries: Location and trust contact for Whareora Cemetery on Parahaki Parish Road.
NZHistory: Whareora Cemetery: Record of the First World War grave of Gunner Hercules Spence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Whareora?
Whareora is a rural locality in the Whangarei District, northeast of Whangārei along Whareora Road.
How do I get to Whareora?
Drive out of Whangārei on Whareora Road. Cemetery directions say to pass the junction with Mt Tiger Road, then take the next right into Parahaki Parish Road. A scheduled bus to the locality was not confirmed.
Is there a shop or town centre in Whareora?
No shopping centre or town strip was confirmed in the locality. Everyday shops and services are in Whangārei.
Is A H Reed Memorial Park open?
No. Whangarei District Council has temporarily closed the park, including the carpark and freedom camping site, after kauri dieback was found. Check the council page before visiting.
Can I visit Paranui Falls?
Not while the park closure is in place. The falls are reached on tracks inside A H Reed Memorial Park, beside Whareora Road near Clapham Road, and that reserve is closed for kauri protection.
Where is Whareora Cemetery?
Whangarei District Council lists it on Parahaki Parish Road, Whareora. It is managed by a cemetery trust. Published directions turn into Parahaki Parish Road after Mt Tiger Road and continue to the end of the road.
Are dogs allowed at A H Reed Memorial Park?
The park is closed, so the question does not arise until it reopens. Council’s standing rule is that dogs are prohibited on the loop tracks, and allowed on a leash only on the Hātea River Walkway to Whangārei Falls where it passes the western side of the park.
Is there a school in Whareora?
No school inside the locality was confirmed for this guide. Families should check enrolment with the Ministry of Education and with schools in Whangārei.
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