I had planned today to be my first zero (day off/zero kms walked).
I checked the trail notes for the next section. The trail had been rerouted and bypassed the Herekino Forest due to kauri dieback disease.
This disease is caused by a soil-borne organism and impacts the kauri tree by infecting and damaging its feeder roots. While I understand the necessity of the protection order, I am also a little saddened. One of the reasons I wanted to do this walk was to hang out in the forest with these magnificent trees.
It was a bit rainy and I felt I had probably seen a fair bit of the local area given I had skived off earlier in the week with Denise and Kevin.
As I wasn’t able to traverse Herekino Forest, instead of slacking off for the day, I hired a car and drove for a couple of hours to the Waipoua Forest to see Tane Mahuta, the Lord of the Forest.
I had heard a bit about this kauri tree and given I was so close (relatively speaking) it seemed a shame to miss it, particularly as I was on a zero anyway.
So off I went. It was just over a couple of hours by road.
Did I get carsick on that winding, climbing, slippery road?
Spectacularly.
More than once.
Was it worth it? You bet!
At the start of the track, to get to the tree, I passed through a sterilization station to mitigate spreading any bacteria which could harm the tree. Basically, you scrub your boots and then they get sprayed with disinfectant.
And then I was off. It is only a short walk from the road to the tree.
Although I couldn’t see Tane Mahuta while I was walking towards it, I could certainly feel it. My skin started to tingle and I got all goosey, and I could feel that sensation creep up my neck.
I turned the corner and there it was, the Lord of the Forest.
It is magnificent and has a tangible energy radiating from it. I teared up and felt overwhelmed by its presence. It is truly something incredible to see and I felt honoured and privileged to be standing there.
There are moments in my life when I feel the world slow and that veil between times grows thin. I closed my eyes and could feel the presence of Ancestors and saw what the forest must have looked like back when their time began. How lucky I am to see this.
There was a young fella guide there, talking to a tour group. I heard him say that Tane Mahuta, as strong and big as it is, cannot survive on its own. Because of its size, its root system is not sufficient to keep the tree tethered to the earth. It has to rely on the trees around it. Tane Mahuta’s roots are entangled with all the other root systems. Together, the forest supports Tane Mahuta. Everything is connected. No tree stands alone.
I know that young fella was talking about the tree, but I couldn’t help but think on how this relates to all of us.
Everyone is connected and together, we are stronger.
I am sorry my words and photos won’t do justice to this magnificent, living being. Please come and see it for yourself.
Some fun facts
The age of Tane Mahuta is unknown but is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years. It is the largest kauri known to stand today.
The largest kauri recorded grew in the Coromandel and measured, wait for it... a whopping 26.83m in girth.
Close your eyes for a sec and just imagine that tree. Massive!
I had such a great day today (except for the vomiting, that wasn’t great) Plus, at one of my stops, I had an audience who witnessed the emergence of my breakfast. It probably wasn’t great for them either!
Tane Mahuta. The area around the tree is fenced off and visitors stand on a platform so as to not damage any feeder roots. This means the tree is protected but I am not able to provide any scale to the photo by including some random bloke in front of the trunk.
Get those boots clean.
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