MANAWATU'S IRON GATES EXPERIENCE
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signing the visitors book

RANGIWAHIA SCENIC RESERVE visitor comments

A visitor book is available in a green mailbox at the end of the car park and before the trail begins. Our local MP, Ian McKelvie, suggested a visitor’s book after he himself walked through the reserve. We are so pleased we followed through with his suggestion as we now have a record of people's experiences from all around NZ and the world.
  • These are virtually all the comments since 2017. If they are not there it is because we were unable to read them or no comment was made.
  • We have included places and comments, but have not included names for privacy reasons. Not everyone who walks the Reserve enters a comment in the book
  • Latest reviews feature first.
​
​February 2021
Kapiti Coast – Great spot. Good job done,
Feilding – (no comment made)
Wellington – A lovely walk. Thanks for the markers.
Wellington – Saw a ruru (morepork). Many thanks.
Palmerston North – Found the geocache. Beautiful. Well maintained.
Palmerston North – Beautiful!
Palmerston & Northland – Fine spot.
Palmerston North  - Great.
Bulls – Felt like going back in time. Amazing track.
Mangaweka – Lovely.
Lower Hutt – Awesome.
Feilding – So great.
Feilding – Amazing. Well done.
Feilding – Great track, peaceful & magical.
Palmerston North – Awesome. Thank you.
Wellington – So helpful having the tree fern names. Makes walk more interesting. Thank you to all who maintain this wonderful area.
Ruahine Road, Rangiwahia - (no comment made)
Palmerston North – Always a great walk. Even better 2nd or 3rd time round.
Christchurch – Need to come back with more time. 
Manawatu – Stunning.
Palmerston north/Foxton Beach – Stunning.
Palmerston North – Fab
Feilding – Wonderful
Ashhurst – Super hot!
Sri Lanka🇱🇰  – Great. Love it. 



January 2021.
Woodend – (no comment made)
Feilding – (no comment made)
Feilding – Thank you. Beautiful.
Palmerston North – (no comment made)
Auckland – What a wonderful work the Bielski family and others have given our community.
Palmerston North – what a magical tour of the new track.
Kinlock, Taupo – Nice. Saw eastern rosellas.
Lower Hutt – Very impressive and a gem of what we have lost.
Canterbury. – Awesome track (2nd). Loved all the track markers, signs of trees, especially signs telling to look up, and quirky signs eg The Red Beech Café.
Rangiwahia – Good track (2nd track)
Kiwitea and Palmy – So nice in the rain.The long track is beautiful. Lovely big tree ferns. Truly breathtaking.
Palmerston North – Thanks, Anne, (pest-control volunteer) for sharing this slice of paradise with us.
Taihape – The loop trap is a stunning addition to an already superb walk.
Turakina Valley – Love the trees!



December 2020
Feilding – ex-Apiti – (no comment made)
Paraparaumu – Great natural bush.
Grey Lynn, Auckland – Wonderful to see native bush still going.
Wellington – Lovely native bush. Lots of birdies. Well done and all the trapping.
Wanganui – wet, but stunning.
Ahuriri (Hawke’s Bay)- Mauri ora.
Napier – Beautiful
Taihape – Amazing walk. Thank you very much
Kimbolton – Loved the walk. Good day with boy-friend.
Timaru, Craigmore Station – Amazing bush walk
Palmerston North - !!!


November 2020
Bulls - (no comment made)
Vinegar Hill (no comment made)
Feilding – Loved looking for puriri moth holes.
Auckland – Show case of NZ trees.
Apiti - (no comment made)
Waipawa – Jewel in the crown! Thanks to volunteers for maintaining track and pest control
Feilding – Hidden gem
Auckland – Wonderful showcase of native trees.
Palmerston North – great walk (2nd track). Plants identified.
Many thanks to Suzanne & Allan, Botanists, who identified trees/plants on the 2nd track for the labelling project.
????? – First timers. He ataahua ngahere. Love, love, love.



October 2020.
Palmerston North – My legs hurt!
Taihape – Great walk.
Kiwitea – Great walk
Feilding – Nice walk.
Poirua – Well marked.
Napier – What a treasure. We will be back.
Palmerston North – Beautiful.
Wanganui – Great bush
Ashburton – Great to see lots of silver ferns.
Palmerston North – Amazing variety of large trees and tree ferns.

September 2020 -

Palmerston North - Thank you
Wanganui.
Palmy
Kiwitea - Congrats! Amazing bush. Excellent track. Great signs.
Feilding - All good.
Palmerston North - Great walk.
Pohangina.
Omaha
Feilding
Waituna West – Absolutely fantastic on the extended walk.
Feilding – Great walk. Thank you.
Palmerston North – Wonderful beauty and trees. 
Taihape – Beautiful stand of native bush
Palmerston North – Thank you to the team of volunteers. Great walk.
Feilding – Great walk really.
Kiwitea – I enjoyed the effort you have gone to.
Manawatu Tramping club. 25 members – 
Very enjoyable walk. Guided.
Wonderful bush. Beautifully labeled.
Enjoyable day. Great effort, Rangiwahia

Palmerston North – Great day out.
Linton – Wonderful
Palmerston North – great bush
Palmerston North – Beautiful trees.
Palmerston North – Good to recent development.
Feilding (x-Apiti) – Brill.

August 2020 - 
Feilding -  Great to be back
Feilding - Great track
Whanganui - Truly special track worth preserving.
Bay of Islands.
Bell Block
Feilding – Very improved.
Peep-O-Day -  Great walk. Kids loved it. Thanks.
Palmerston North – What a lovely walk. Thanks.
Auckland – Lovely walk. We were followed by an inquisitive fantail. Thanks for all the hard work.
Kiwitea – Thanks to the community who manage the track.
Foxton
Feilding – Lovely bit of bush. Great walk.
Feilding – Well marked track. Lovely walk.
Wellington – Great
Napier – Just lovely.
Feilding – Here for the geocache. Got it! What stunning bush. Thank you team volunteers for upgrading the track. Great walk. Excellent bird life. As I’m colour blind pleased you used pink markers. I can see them!

July 2020 - 

Whanganui - Loved this walk. Thank you so much!
Rangiwahia - Great walk for family
Pohangina - Beautiful bush. Will  be back.
Palmerston North - Thursday trampers 9 of us - Thanks. Lot of good work
Feilding - Nga mihi
Ashhurst - Great track
Palmerston North - Very nice track and beautiful trees. 

OSNZ (Ornithological Society of New Zealand) - Did an Ebird Atlas Survey count

26th March 2020 - COVID-19 lockdown Level Four, then Level Three.
During this time there were no visits to the Reserve.


From Level Two - 13 May to June 2020
Kimbolton - Very convenient piece of paradise
Palmerston Nth - Great walk.
Rangiwahia - First visit. Beautiful walk.
Ashhurst - Nice walk
Auckland - A nice work in progress
Dannevirke - Thanks. Very calm and peaceful
Apiti - What an assett to Manawatu. A lot of love has gone into it. Great walk. Thanks.
Hunterville - Great walk. Thanks. Well done, guys. Awesome.
Feilding - First time here, but it won't be the last!
Kimbolton - Lovely
Feilding & Waituna West - Great walk
Rangiwahia - Good walk
Rangiwahia - Good fun walk
Feilding - A well preserved "Little Gem"! Thank you!
Feilding - What a great walk. We'll be back.
Feilding - Magnificent bush. So close to "home". Great work. 
Feilding - Magnificent bush. Keep up the good work!
Pohangina - Lovely trees. Thank you. ❤️

2020.
Quebec 
 🇨🇦 - Amazing trees.
Marton - Great. We’ll be back

Palmerston North - We made it! How fun
Huntly - Beautiful. Thank you.
Taupo - Thanks for your work maintaining this bit of paradise.
London, UK 🇬🇧 I  - Please preserve this beauty.
Peep-o-Day, Manawatu - Grrrrrr8. Magnificent trees. Truly giants of the forest. May they live on.
Kimbolton - Track maintenance. Ferns look much happier after that bit of rain.
Tolaga Bay -  Wonderful. Great work volunteers.
Titahi Bay, Porirua - Great track, well metered. Quite steep at the start, but worth it.
Cornwall, UK 🇬🇧 - Beautiful sunny day. Lovely in the trees.
Foxton - Saw and heard a karearea (NZ Falcon) at Matai lookout. Steep for me.
Turakina Valley - In my happy place. Cheers for the awesome marks.
Kimbolton - Lovely walk, best bush I’ve seen in ages. The beech clearing is the perfect lunch spot.
Titahi Bay - A wonderful hike. Thanks so for the efforts to construct the track. One suggestion. The stiles are almost impossible for dogs. Had to lift my 30kg GSP up and over the last one. Could you make access easier for dogs?
Wellington - Thought it was great & find a reserve I could take my dog to, but the stile meant we couldn’t access – maybe a spring-gate? 
(Writers note - the stile has been altered so that dogs should be able to climb over with ease).

Palmerston North - Immensely grateful for the good medicine and sanctuary of this place. 
Thanks to the kaihaki with much aroha.

Woodville - Stunning beautiful gem.
Kimbolton - Gorgeous bush. Well looked after!
Finland 🇫🇮  - So lovely
San Carlos, California 
🇺🇸 - A nature paradise
France 🇫🇷  -  Awesome walk. Great thank to those you maintain it.
Feilding/New Plymouth - There’s an old Geocache at the top & unfound for 4 years. 
It’s still unfound, but the bush is excellent compensation. Thanks volunteers.

Mangaweka - Stunning old growth trees, thank you for making this area accessible. Great!
Lyttleton - A tree huggers delight. Thank you for an informative native beautiful track.
Papamoa -Thank you to those who have made this track walkable – fabulous.
London 🇬🇧  - Loving the bush


2019.

Feilding - Simply stunning. Loved every moment.
Wellington - Enchanted!
Palmerston Nth/Wellington - Had to come back. So magical.
Feilding - Beautiful unspoilt virgin splendour.
UK 🇬🇧  -    Simply as it should be. Thank you.
New Plymouth - Well worth the effort.
CAnada 🇨🇦  - Wonderful trail. Thank you.
Netherlands - 🇳🇱  What magnificent trees. Loved it.
Napier -  Fantastic – well marked track. Awesome trees. Loved it.
Germany 🇩🇪   - Very nice track.
Palmerston North - Nice!
Putararu -  Piece of Paradise. Thanks.
Chicago, USA 🇺🇸  - Thank you. Nice reserve.
Feilding - Nice walk, but a bit tough in places for “oldies”.
Kimbolton - Quite nice.
Feilding - Very nicely maintained. Thanks.
Taumaranui  - Beautiful. Thank you for the opportunity.
Christchurch - Thanks.
Wanganui - Beautiful walk
Palmerston North - Brilliant.
Kapiti Coast - Love it. Beautiful to hear the birds.
Feilding - Best reserve to date!!
Palmerston North -. Ditto above. Will be in touch with the committee.
Paris, France 🇫🇷  - Beau travail
California 
🇺🇸- Lovely to experience original bush
Foxton - We will be back with better shoes.
Moonshine Valley - Cycled round the fence and walked part way.
Otaki  - Walked whole trail. Well marked. Good.
Texas, USA 
🇺🇸 - I love this hike. Love the labels on the trees. 
Back again almost to the year.

Pretoria, 🇿🇦  - Unspoiled. Well marked. Absolutely awesome.
Palmy/ Feilding - Fantastic.
Wellington - Thank you! Superb track (training for 100 kms ultra run in the Blue Mountains, Australia.                                                                                Technical trail here was perfect.
Wellington - I had fun jumping the tree roots. And reading the tree name plaques. 
(a child’s comment)
Feilding - Lovely trail
Palmerston North - Great people. Awesome track. Beaut.
Wanganui - Great NZ bush.
Ahope, NZ - Great. Easy identification of trees. Well done. Keep up the good work.
Canada 🇨🇦  - Wonderful view on top. Thanks.
Waitomo Caves - Great bush walk and trees.
Palmerston North - First time here. Ran 80%. Great trails.
Stratford, Taranaki -  Great walk. Well done.
UK - Fabulous track. Thank you.
Hawke’s Bay - Awesome track. Thanx.
New York, USA 🇺🇸, Vancouver 🇨🇦 , Paekakariki, Jarna (Sweden 🇸🇪 ), 
Utrecht (Netherlands  🇳🇱) and 
Wellington - Lovely evening stroll.
Feilding - Good fun. Thanks.
Ysselsteyn, (Netherlands 
 🇳🇱) and Hunterville - 
Beautiful. Very well maintained
Cambridge - Great. Thank you.
Kapiti Coast -  Incredible. Great job!
Waikanae - Taonga! (Maori for a natural resource, which is highly prized)
Feilding/Palmerston North - Lovely track

2018. 
Palmerston North - Will be back.
Japan 🇯🇵  - Will be back.
Palmerston North - Excellent. 
Wellington - Good work, community group. 
Auckland - Thank you! Wonderful mature forest.
How much to build a predator proof fence?

Palmerston North - Excellent

2017. 
Rangiwahia - Awesome.
Palmerston Nth - Great trees. Congrats.
Australia 🇦🇺  - We had lots of fun, A fabulous walk. 
France 🇫🇷  - Very nice. Fine walk.
Australia 🇦🇺 - Beautiful bush. Heaps of birds
Zambia 🇿🇲  - Great track. Thanks. Really good track.
Well thought out and easy to navigate.

Palmerston North - Amazing variety of trees and fauna.
Magnificient walk with amazing trees. Track must stay open. 
 

Feilding - Fabulous.
Palmerston North - Great to have tree signs
Palmerston North - Fantastic forest remnant.
Don’t lose it!

Palmerston North - Marvellous variety of mature native trees.
Palmerston North - So many huge natives. Brilliant.
Feilding - Best bush seen in 15 years of tramping.
Palmerston North - Great bush for school children to visit.
Palmerston North - Well worth the trip. Keep it.
Palmerston North - Must conserve this forest remnant. 
Excellent for children the original bush.

Palmerston North - Best forest walk ever! 
Kimbolton - Local hike in the bush
Kimbolton - Magnificent rimus
 

 

 





 

 
 

 



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