Download Northland`s kauri forests - Department of Conservation

Northland’s kauri forests
Northland
Nothing is more symbolic of Northland than the kauri. While most of Northland’s kauri forest is gone, felled for
its high quality timber or simply burned to make way for farmland, we can still marvel at the splendid forests
remaining and plan for new trees to thrive in the future.
Most of what is left is now legally protected and open for visitors to enjoy. In forests such as Waipoua, Puketi
and Omahuta there are still huge and ancient kauri, often in great cathedral-like groves readily accessible from a
variety of paths and walking tracks.
Waipoua Forest is home to two of New Zealand’s oldest and largest living kauri – Tane Mahuta (Lord of the
Forest) and Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest). Tane Mahuta is the tallest at 51 m with a girth of over 13 m.
Te Matua Ngahere is the oldest at about 2000 years and although not as tall, has a whopping girth of 16.4 m!
Special forests
It’s not just the kauri that makes these forests special.
They are outstanding for their botanical richness
and variety and the habitat they provide for wildlife
including strong populations of kiwi, the rare North
Island kökako and the plump pigeon known in most
places as kererü but in Northland, kükupa. They also
contain a distinctive fauna of lizards, insects and snails
including the large and very handsome, kauri snail.
Not your average garden snail, these striking giants
have glossy, dark brown shells and can grow up
to almost 8 cm in diameter. Once widespread in
Northland, their numbers are much reduced thanks
to loss of habitat and predation by pests such as wild
pigs, possums and rats. The kauri snail is a carnivore
with cannibalistic tendencies, but which feeds mainly
on earthworms, slugs and soft-bodied insects. It
inhabits moist areas of forest and native scrub.
Rata’s waka
There are many versions of this mysterious story.
Rata was wandering the forest and wondering how
he could bring home the body of his father, who had
recently died. He looked about him at the trees and
decided to build himself a waka. He chose a tall,
handsome kauri tree, cut it down and went home
planning to return the next day to begin building. But
when he came back the tree was not lying where he
left it but standing tall and silent .
He cut the kauri down again and this time he trimmed
the trunk and removed the bark. When he returned the
next day he could hardly believe his eyes – the tree
was once again standing tall and silent with every leaf
in place.
He cut the kauri down for the third time, trimmed the
trunk, removed the bark and began to hollow out
the log before heading home once more. This time
he decided to return after dark. As he approached
Northland Conservancy
Published by
Department of Conservation
Christchurch
2006
RS0002
the spot he could hear strange singing and to his
amazement saw that the birds and insects were
rebuilding the tree to restore it to its original state.
Rata stepped from his hiding place. “I am sorry I cut
down the kauri tree, please let me help you lift it back
into place.” When the sun rose Rata was alone and
the kauri tree was once more standing. “I will never cut
down another tree again,” said Rata. A voice near him
said, “You may but you must ask permission of Tane
Mahuta, god of the forest, first”.
As Rata returned home, he came across a mighty
waka made of kauri and asked if it were his. “Yes,” a
voice replied “Rata’s waka”.
Trounson Kauri Park
Mainland Island
A mainland island seeks to undo some of the damage
caused by humans and introduced mammals by
creating a secure environment for native flora and
fauna. This is achieved through intense, sustained
pest management with a focus on native species
restoration.
Why was Trounson chosen? This 450-ha reserve
with its impressive stand of kauri trees has long been
recognized as one of the best national examples of its
kind. Other trees in the reserve include many fruiting
species like taraire, kohekohe, pigeonwood, tötara
and rimu, all of which provide a rich source of food for
C. Rudge
Kauri snail (right) D. Veitch
native birds.
Trounson was also chosen as it is surrounded
by farmland administered by the Department of
Conservation, providing good access.
And it’s working! There has been a spectacular
increase in the number of kükupa now found within the
boundaries of the mainland island.
Did you know?
•
Kauri has a comparatively shallow rooting system
consisting of a mass of surface feeding roots and
peg roots that may only penetrate 5 m to anchor
the tree. The roots of the mighty kauri can be fatally
damaged by something as small as footprints over
time.
•
The kükupa is essential to New Zealand forests – it
is the only bird that doesn’t have a gizzard, which
means large seeds it eats from trees such as miro
and karaka pass straight through and can grow
where they fall.
For more information
Contact:
DOC Kauri Coast Area Office, phone 09 439 3011
DOC Bay of Islands Area Office, phone 09 407 8474