An action plan is being worked on to protect the long-term future of the country’s most famous tree, the giant Kauri Tāne Mahuta and the wider Waipoua Forest
An action plan is being worked on to protect the long-term future of the country’s most famous tree, the giant Kauri Tāne Mahuta and the wider Waipoua Forest
Now a project has been launched to protect the giant kauri tree and transform Waipoua Forest for the benefit of future generations and the 200,000-plus visitors it attracts every year.
Work is about to begin on the first phase of a long-term, transformative project to protect Tāne Mahuta and the forest - Rākau Rangatira. Tāne Mahuta is so far free of kauri dieback, but the pathogen was found 60m away several years ago and millions has been spent trying to protect the ancient tree and wider forest from the disease.
The Department of Conservation (DoC) and Te Iwi O Te Roroa have awarded the tender for the reconstruction of the bridge, boardwalk, and viewing platform at Tāne Mahuta to Auckland company Milton Harward Construction.
The work is part of phase one of ‘Rākau Rangatira’ - a partnership project between DoC and Te Iwi O Te Roroa to upgrade the visitor infrastructure and the visitor experience in the Far North’s Waipoua Forest.
Aerial view of a kauri tree in Waipoua Forest infected with kauri dieback disease, an infection that threatens the forest and its iconic tree Tāne Mahuta
The work means the Tāne Mahuta Walk will close while it is carried out, with construction is due to start on September 30. While this work is under way access to Tāne Mahuta will close for about eight weeks in advance of the busy summer season. However, Kauri Walks (Te Matua Ngahere) will remain open for visitors to enjoy the forest and its giant, ancient kauri.
DoC’s Kauri Coast operations manager Stephen Soole said Tāne Mahuta and the other rākau rangatira (chiefly trees) of Waipoua are at serious risk from the further irreversible spread of the pathogen Phytophthora agathidicida (PA), which causes kauri dieback disease, meaning proactive and sustainable measures are essential.
“DoC is proud to work alongside Te Roroa to replace end-of-life facilities at Tāne Mahuta which are no longer fit for purpose and currently pose risks to the forest and visitors,’’ Soole said.
“Upgrading these facilities provides a crucial opportunity to enhance protections for kauri in Waipoua and increase visitor safety for approximately 200,000 visitors a year.”
Te Iwi O Te Roroa General Manager, Snow Tāne said protecting Tāne Mahuta during construction works is vital and the iwi is pleased to have a contractor specialising in undertaking works in kauri forests on board.
‘’Our Kauri Ora teams will be assisting throughout construction to monitor controls and protection protocols,’’ Tāne said.
Future phases of the Rākau Rangatira project aim to upgrade visitor infrastructure and enhance the visitor experience at Waipoua Forest while prioritising forest health.
“In partnership with Te Roroa, we are exploring ambitious and transformative operating models and regenerative tourism options, designed to restore and enhance Waipoua’s natural environment while ensuring a sustainable future,” Soole said.
“Guided walks and a park-and-ride option are two initiatives being explored. If introduced, they will deepen visitors’ connection to culture and nature, increase public safety, minimise environmental impact, and allow visitors to play an active role in contributing to ongoing conservation.
“Through the development of improved infrastructure, DoC and Te Roroa hope to provide the opportunity for visitors to experience parts of Waipoua that have not previously been accessible such as some of the wetland areas behind Te Matua Ngahere.”
Tāne Mahuta is expected to re-open with renewed assets for visitors to enjoy from late November.
Tāne Mahuta attracts about 200,000 visitors per year and stands 51.5 metres tall, with a trunk diameter of 4.5 metres. It is estimated to be 1,500 years old.
According to Māori mythology, Tāne is the son of Ranginui the sky father and Papatūānuku the earth mother. Tāne was the child who separated his parents’ embrace and then set about clothing his mother in the forest we see today. All living creatures of the forest are regarded as Tāne’s children.
Waipoua Forest preserves some of the best examples of kauri forest remaining in New Zealand. It is notable for having two of the largest living kauri trees, Tāne Mahuta and Te Matua Ngahere.
The forest was declared a sanctuary in 1952. A community-based volunteer organisation, the Waipoua Forest Trust, helps maintain the forest. The sanctuary is bordered to the south by the 350-hectare Professor W.R. McGregor Reserve, named after W.R. McGregor (1894-1977). In the 1940s, McGregor and others successfully campaigned to end logging in the forest and to have it declared a sanctuary, a status it was accorded in 1952.
Phytophthora agathidicida (PA) is a soil-borne pathogen that infects kauri trees through their roots. PA restricts the ability of kauri to transport water and nutrients between their roots and their leaves, causing the condition known as kauri dieback disease, which eventually starves the tree.
PA could have devastating effects on New Zealand’s kauri forests. It has been found in Northland, Great Barrier Island, and the Coromandel Peninsula. There is no known cure, but its spread can be reduced by avoiding any movement of soil around the roots of kauri trees. That means sticking to tracks and having spotlessly clean footwear and any gear that might touch the ground.
