Exploring the land of the Kauri
After a beautiful morning at Lake Taharoa I hit the road for Waipoua Kauri Forest, the land of the giant kauri trees.
My intention had been to see Tāne Mahuta (‘Lord of the Forest’) which is the biggest kauri tree on earth measuring 51.5m tall with a girth of 13.77m. However due to work on the trail access was closed off. Kauri dieback disease is a massive issue at the moment facing the kauri trees of New Zealand. It is believed to be caused by the pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida (PA) which infects the trees through their roots. There is currently no known cure. In order to reduce the spread there are footwear sanitation stations at the start of popular trails. Boardwalks and viewing platforms are getting built. These boardwalks aim to reduce any soil movement around the fragile roots of the trees, hopefully protecting the trees.
Since I couldn’t see Tāne Mahuta I went to see the next best thing. Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) is the second largest living kauri tree. It has girth of 16.41m, a height of 29.9m and is believed to be between 2,500 and 3,000 years old.
To get there you have a 20min walk through incredible old growth forest. It is lush and green, full of massive kauri trees and interesting plants. As I went past all these big trees I started to wonder how massive Te Matua Ngahere was going to be. I hadn’t heard any dimensions of it or see any photos. It certainly didn’t disappoint.
To see Te Matua Ngahere truly was breathtaking. I had never seen a living thing this large. It resembled a building more than a tree. The knowledge that this tree has lived quietly undisturbed (until very recently) through all that has happened over the last 3,000 years is quite a philosophical idea. Hopefully it keeps on living for many years to come.
Jack mate,
Jessie just showed me your blog. I love it. I LOVE these trees! Great photos too!
Jessie also showed me a picture of your van! Looks swell! Can we see more pics of the van?
Looks like you’re living the dream man! Excited for the next post!