1 / 3Waihirere Domain
📍 Waihirere, Gisborne
Best for a picnic and a first bush walk with pre-schoolers. Waihirere Domain, fifteen minutes from Gisborne, has a playground, grassy picnic areas and an easy track beside the stream to a small waterfall. The old swimming pool is closed.
Visited Waihirere Domain recently and it’s a really nice place to visit and relax. The area has a big parking space which makes access very easy. There is a beautiful walking track of around 15 minutes leading to a small waterfall — the walk is peaceful and enjoyable with lovely natural surroundings. The waterfall area is nice and scenic, perfect for spending quality time and enjoying nature. Overall, it was a beautiful experience and we had an amazing time there. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a short walk and a calm outdoor spot!
🏆 Family Action Verdict
A gentle half day for families with small children: play, picnic, then the stream track to the waterfall, which is short and shaded enough for a four-year-old to walk. Do not come expecting the swimming pool the locals remember; it is gone. Pack food and water, because there is nothing to buy out here.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →63 Google reviews
Aman Pardhan
“Visited Waihirere Domain recently and it’s a really nice place to visit and relax. The area has a big parking space which makes access very easy. There is a beautiful walking track of around 15 minutes leading to a small waterfall — the walk is peaceful and enjoyable with lovely natural surroundings. The waterfall area is nice and scenic, perfect for spending quality time and enjoying nature. Overall, it was a beautiful experience and we had an amazing time there. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a short walk and a calm outdoor spot!”
Jade de Haan
“Great walk up to the little waterfall. Our kids enjoy the track as it wasn't too big for them (5 & 6yrs) Park was kept nice and tidy. Great stop for a picnic.”
Dananja Buddhika
“Cool place... Beutiful nature trail...”
Kris Clayton
“Despite the fact that the pool is not available, Waihirere Domain is still a great place to take the kids, especially the younger ones - swings, slide, see saws and plenty of grass to run on or picnic at. We didn't visit the waterfall on this occasion so I can't comment on that.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
Waihirere Domain sits at the foot of the hills fourteen kilometres from Gisborne, off Back Ormond Road. A large car park opens onto grass, picnic spots and a simple playground with swings, a slide and see-saws, and a track follows the Waihirere Stream through native bush to a small waterfall, about fifteen minutes each way at a child's pace. The much-loved swimming pool closed in 2006 and is being removed under a council renewal plan promising a better track, shelters and a nature play trail.
