Precarious perch: Gravity-defying tree a Tararua landmark

A gravity tree at Matamau, just north of Dannevirke, has been fascinating travellers for many years.

Every time Napier photographer Chris Finn passes a tree that is growing on the side of a cliff at Matamau, just north of Dannevirke, he expects to see it has fallen into the river below.

But incredibly it hasn't happened.

The tree is a black beech, or tawairauriki, growing at the top of the valley above the Mangatiwaiiti River on the property of Don and Kay Stewart.

Finn is one of many people who have stopped to photograph the tree over the years.

He's an amateur photographer but in his work as an engineer surveyor he travels the country and says he stops to take photographs of whatever takes his fancy.

A gravity tree at Matamau, just north of Dannevirke, has been fascinating travellers for many years.

"I really just like taking photographs whether it's of my kids' sport or the places I go and the things I see.

"I took the photo of the tree a couple of years ago and I've been waiting for it to fall into the river. It's pretty precarious.

"I think the river must have caused the bank to wash away over the years."

Don Stewart says the tree must be about 25 to 30 years old.

He says people often stop to take photographs of it.

State Highway 3 once ran close to the tree but it was reconstructed around 20 years ago because of the number of accidents there.

"The road used to go over what was called the hill of seven signs because there were seven signs warning drivers to slow down. But they didn't and there were a lot of accidents."

He said eventually the new road was built after the entire hill started to slip and at one stage blocked the road for days.

"It's because of the number of accidents in the area that I became involved in St John. We had a first aid box on the fence but I thought I had better learn what to do when there was an accident."

Stewart said living on the main road was interesting, to say the least.

"I could write a book about the things that have happened over the years."

He said he had to put a deer fence up as drivers who were upset after having an accident would drive into their front garden and were damaging it.

"People would stop and picnic in our garden, which we didn't mind, but then we put in a pond.

"I had a call from a neighbour one day to say 'you'd better look at what's happening in your pond'. A busload of people had stripped off and were jumping in the pond.

"I think they were on a sports trip and might have had a few beers."