KAURI : A NORTHLAND ICON.
Agathis australis: Kauri. Above - Tane Mahuta. Below - The base of his trunk.
Tane Mahuta.
BOTANICAL NAME : Agathis australis. Common name Kauri - known affectionatrly as Tane Mahuta - Tane Mahuta is the largest living kauri at over four meters in diameter, with a girth of 13.77 meters, and a trunk height of 17.69. Overall Tane Mahuta stands 51.5 meters tal and is known a the Lord Of The Forest. Tane Mahuta is located in the Waipaua Forest of Northland on Syate Highway 12. There is easy access for visitors as the giant kauri is close to the highway, and a specially built boardwalk takes you right to within meters of the base mound. tane Mahuta has an estimated volume of 244.5 cubic meters. Visitors to Northland should not miss this amazing sight (For more information on the kauri, see 'Lords Of The Forest - The Giant Kauri Of Northland' a book by Dennis Scoles, available from Northland Books, Whangarei & www.FarNorthBooks.com).
LOOKING OUT OVER THE WAIPAUA FOREST - Photograph taken from the lookout near Dargaville.
WAIPOUA FOREST.
As mentioned above the Waipoua Forest is located north of Dargaville. Access is via State Highway 12, on the west coast of the Northland Region. Neighbouring reserves are the Waima and Mataraua Forests. The forest sanctuary is bordered to the south by the 350 hectares (860 acres) Professor W.R McGregor Reserve, named after W.R. McGregor (1894–1977). In the 1940s, McGregor successfully campaigned to end logging of the Waipoua kauri forest and in 1952 he was successful in having the forest dedicated as a sanctuary. (for further information see 'Lords Of The Forest', by Dennis Scoles). The Waipoua, Warawara and Puketi Forests together contain about three
quarters of New Zealand's remaining mature kauri trees. The Waipoua forest holds the largest
remaining stand of these trees. Of the ten largest remaining kauri in New Zealand, the three larges are in the Waipoua Forest - Tne Mahuta, Te Matua Ngahere, a notable kauri tree that is
the largest in New Zealand by girth and the second largest by volume, and is estimated to be from 2,000 to 3,000 years old, and the McGregor Kauri, named after professor McGregor, who saw it during survey work in the 1920s. It was rediscovered in 1975 by Peter Matthews. Professor McGregor wrote a book on the Waipoua Forest in 1948 (The Waipoua Kauri Forest). The seventh largest living kauri, the Yakas Kauri, is also in Waipoua. Nowadays the trees are under threat from the fungus Phytophthora taxon Agathis, and work is underway to find a cure for the disease. The forest also has the largest population of North Island brown kiwi in Northland, as well as a number of the native birds, including the endangered North Island kokako.
quarters of New Zealand's remaining mature kauri trees. The Waipoua forest holds the largest
remaining stand of these trees. Of the ten largest remaining kauri in New Zealand, the three larges are in the Waipoua Forest - Tne Mahuta, Te Matua Ngahere, a notable kauri tree that is
the largest in New Zealand by girth and the second largest by volume, and is estimated to be from 2,000 to 3,000 years old, and the McGregor Kauri, named after professor McGregor, who saw it during survey work in the 1920s. It was rediscovered in 1975 by Peter Matthews. Professor McGregor wrote a book on the Waipoua Forest in 1948 (The Waipoua Kauri Forest). The seventh largest living kauri, the Yakas Kauri, is also in Waipoua. Nowadays the trees are under threat from the fungus Phytophthora taxon Agathis, and work is underway to find a cure for the disease. The forest also has the largest population of North Island brown kiwi in Northland, as well as a number of the native birds, including the endangered North Island kokako.
TROUNSON KAURI PARK.
A wonderful scenic reserve on the way to the Waipoua Forest, via Dargaville. a 40 minute walk through 1.6 kilometres of natural kauri forest. Trounson is situated 38 kilometres from Dargaville, and is a 577 hectare kauri reserve, initially developed on a gift of 30 hectares of kauri forest, from James Trounson, an early settler and saw miller, of Kaihu. Trounson Kauri Park is managed by the Department of conservation, with intensive pest control, which has allowed the regeneration of native flora and fauna
THE KAURI OF WHANGAREI.
There are two categories into which I have divided the kauri of Whangarei - Native bush reserves and cultivated trees.
NATIVE BUSH RESERVE - Large kauri can be found growing naturally in several reserves in the Whangarei area - Whangarei city reserves such as Mount Parihaka Reserves, Pukenui Forest, and the very special A.H. Reed Memorial Kauri Park have good stands of young to mature kauri. In the districts there are Mount Manaia and Mad Woman's Track that also have mature kauri trees.
CULTIVATED TREES - These are trees planted in parks and reserves that have not occured naturally, and private gardens. Fortunately there are a large number of mature kauri trees that have been planted by people and councils who care about our native kauri, the Northland Icon.
THE A.H. REED MEMORIAL KAURI PARK.
The Entance to the A.H. Reed Memorial Kauri Park is off Whareora Road. There are three car parks, Lower, Middle and Upper (see map). the middle car park provides wheelchair accrss to the Canopy Walkway, a walkway constructed above the bush,
providing visitors with a bird's eye view of the forest and Wai Koromiko Sream below. A large sign board will great visitors setting out the features of the park and the various tracks, one of which will lead visitors through the stand of Kauri trees, to the lesser known waterfall which is 23.8 metres high and was originally considered more scenic than the Whangarei Falls, further up the valley at Tikipunga. However, visitors can walk through to the Tikipunga falls,
through farmland and over fences and gates. This is a continuation of the Hatea River Walkway.
The A.H. Reed Memorial Kauri Park Walkways begin at the bottom car park. Elizabeth Track leads around the back of the park then cuts through to the middle car park, but the McKinnon track lead around the rear of the park off the Elizabeth track to the upper car park at the Clapham Road end of the park. The Alexander Walkway leads around the front of the park to the Canopy Walk and links with the McKinnon track to the waterfall.
The park is named after A.H. Reed publisher and noted walker who began his working life at the age of 14 as a gumdigger with his father, after the family came out from England. They dug gum below Mt Parihaka, and the old homestead is preserved on Clapham Road, at the opposite side of the road from the upper carpark. One cannot put a time or distance on these walks, it is entirely up to the visitor, but like me, you might enjoy a picnic snack on a bench in the Kauri Grove. However, officially,
the Elizabeth track is 490 metres from the lower carpark to the Kauri Grove and Canopy Walk. the Elizabeth Track from the lower carpark through the Kauri Grove and canopy walk, back via the Alexander Track is 890 metres. the tracks provide
easy walking with a steeper climb to the waterfall. Visitors should be aware that this kauri bush is a remnant of the magnificent kauri forest that once covered Northland, and contained huge kauri trees thousands of years old, like the few remaining further north in forests like Waipoua, great trees like Tane Mahuta.
KAURI WALK.
Along the kauri walkway you pass large kauri trees such as this one which are a mere few hundred years old.
The Canopy Walk and Alexander Walkway are designed for access for wheelchairs, the Alexander Walkway can be accessed from the lower car park.
The Canopy Walk and Alexander Walkway are designed for access for wheelchairs, the Alexander Walkway can be accessed from the lower car park.
CANOPY WALK.
From the Canopy Walkway you look down through the tops of the trees to the creek trickling through the bush far beneath the walkway.
CULTIVATED TREES - These are trees planted in parks and reserves that have not occured naturally, and private gardens. Fortunately there are a large number of mature kauri trees that have been planted by people and councils who care about our native kauri, the Northland Icon.
A Magnificent Specimen.
This wonderful Kauri (Agathis australis) is growing in a private garden on the corner of a section in Kensington, Whangarei. Because they have no competition for growing space when planted in the open, Kauri keep most of their lower branches, making a wonderful lawn tree over time. However, Kauri do not like grass around their roots, so a mulch of untreated bark or compost can take the place of the natural build-up of bark and other sheded substance that occurs naturally in the forest.
They do not hike artificial fertilizer. Kauri grows best when its feeding roots are allowed to breathe.
They do not hike artificial fertilizer. Kauri grows best when its feeding roots are allowed to breathe.