Two trees in Waipoua Forest are the best known of all kauri: Tāne Mahuta, the largest living kauri known, and Te Matua Ngahere, the “Father of the Forest”, which has the biggest girth of any New Zealand tree.
Tāne Mahuta
Tāne Mahuta is named after Tāne, the Māori god of forests and birds. It stands beside State Highway 12 and was found in January 1924 by contractors surveying the road. The Department of Conservation gives its trunk girth as 13.77 metres, its trunk height as 17.68 metres, its total height as 51.2 metres and its trunk volume as 244.5 cubic metres. (Other surveys, measuring in different ways, have recorded slightly different figures.) Its age is unknown: Te Ara estimates 1,500 to 2,000 years, and other estimates range from about 1,250 to 2,500 years.
Te Matua Ngahere
Te Matua Ngahere was first recorded in 1937. Measured in 1971, its girth was 16.41 metres, wider than Tāne Mahuta, though it is much shorter at about 30 metres tall. Estimates of its age vary widely, and it is generally considered to be well over 1,500 years old. A storm in 2007 brought down a rātā that had been growing on it, taking part of its crown.
Visiting the giants
Short walks from State Highway 12 lead to both trees. Kauri roots are easily damaged and kauri dieback is spread in soil, so visitors must clean their footwear at the cleaning stations and stay on the boardwalks. Check the Department of Conservation website for the current track status before you go.
