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Waipoua Forest

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Guanilo
Guanilo
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5 out of 5
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Waipoua National Forest/Tane Mahuta

  • August 28, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Guanilo from Mclean, Virginia
Waipoua National Forest/Tane Mahuta

Not far from Paihia on the Western coast of Northern side on the North Island, there's a national forest of of Kauri trees, including Tane Mahuta (the "Lord of the Forest").

It's well worth the drive over to check out these trees in general and Tane Mahuta in specific. When you get there, it's quite imposing, standing at about 170 feet tall and 45 feet wide. We found ourselves just sitting and drinking it in. "Here in front of us", we thought, "is a tree that was around when Christ was."

The Kauri trees used to be found nearly everywhere in New Zealand, until they were nearly harvested (for sailing ships) to extinct. This forest is the largest collection left in New Zealand.

On the way over to Waipoua from Paihia, we found this great little outcropping into the sea near Omapere. Just off SH-12 (take the Signal Station Road to the end), you'll get to this overlook at the mouth of the Hokianga Harbour. Great views of sand and surf, well worth the ten minutes to get there and back again.

Both stops are free of charge.

www.doc.govt.nz/templates/PlaceProfile.aspx?id=34423

From journal 2005 Trip to New Zealand

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