A massive 60-tonne swamp kauri log discovered during excavations for a new power station at Ngāwhā has been gifted to the local marae.
The 16-metre log will be transported to Ngāwhā Marae today, where a powhiri will be held to welcome the ancient tree into the hapū's care from 5pm.
While carbon-dating has yet to be carried out the tree could have been buried and preserved in clay as long as 50,000 years ago.
Top Energy chief executive Russell Shaw said the trunk was discovered at a depth of 9m during levelling of the power station site in February, and is the only swamp kauri find at the power station site to date.
By the time the power station is complete 900,000cu m of soil will have been excavated and redistributed on the site, which is just east of Kaikohe.