January 30, 2013
Our first stop in the Waipoua Forest was to see the spectacular Tane Mahuta (Maori for Lord of the Forest), the largest kauri tree in the world. It has a girth of 45 feet, a height of 168 feet, and is estimated between 1,250 and 2,500 years old.
As an illustration of how big this tree is, we followed the path to a sign announcing Tane Mahuta, and Rich looked around and asked, “Where’s the tree?” I laughed as I realized where it was and pointed behind him. We were at the base of it, and the trunk was so massive it just sort of blended into the forest around us. It’s literally so big that it’s hard to spot! You have to stand back, realize what you’re looking at, and then look up. In fact the best way to see it is from the viewing area about a minute’s walk away. It is a giant amid the other trees. –Cyndi
