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Waipoua Forest

Giant-Kauri

Of all New Zealand’s kauri forests, none is more famous than Waipoua Forest on the west coast north of Dargaville. Waipoua is an ancient green world of huge trees and rare birds. The highway through the forest is memorable for the natural gateways created by huge kauri trees and the fringing of colourful ferns along the road’s edge.

If the great kauri forests of Northland are New Zealand’s untamed jungle, then Tane Mahuta is the undisputed king of this domain. The largest living kauri in New Zealand, Tane Mahuta has a 13.77-metre girth, a trunk height of 17.68 metres and a total height of 51.5 metres. Located a short five-minute walk along flat paths, just off State Highway 12 in Northland, this “lord of the forest” has a competitor who has a fair way to go before he hits the same dizzying heights. His name is Te Matua Ngahere, “father of the forest”, and he is currently the second overall largest living kauri in the country. With a girth of 16.41 metres and a total height of just under 30 metres he is estimated to be 2000 years old. Nearby are the four sisters who, though smaller, are spectacular simply because of their clustered planting.

Reading these wooded statistics does nothing to depict just how majestic and awe-inspiring these giants are. They truly have to be seen to be believed and are worth the easy trek via well-maintained boardwalks within Waipoua Forest. There are longer hiking tracks for those who want to venture deeper into the forest, especially into the high plateau and ranges.

You may also want to visit Trounson Kauri Park which has a campground and loop track. Take your torch and some red cellophane to put over your light and if you are quiet be amazed by the forest night life!