Tāne Mahuta
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Tāne Mahuta is a giant kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand.
The tree's Māori name means "Lord of the Forest" (see Tāne), and is the name of a god in the Māori pantheon. Tāne Mahuta is the most massive kauri known to stand today. It is 51 metres (169 feet) in height, and has a circumference of 13.8 metres (45 feet). There is no proof of the tree's age, but it is estimated to be between 1250 and 2500 years old.
Tane Mahuta has the following measurements:[1]
Trunk Girth 13.77 m, Trunk Height 17.68 m, Total Height 51.2 m, Trunk Volume 244.5 m3.
The tree is a remnant of the ancient subtropical rainforest that once grew on the North Auckland Peninsula. Other giant kauri stand nearby, notably Te Matua Ngahere. It is the most famous tree in New Zealand and the oldest. It is thought this tree was discovered and identified in the 1920’s when contracted surveyors surveyed the present road State Highway 12 through the forest. In 1928 Nicholas Yakas and other Bushmen, which were building the road, also identified the tree.
According to Maori mythology Tane is the son of Ranginui the sky father and Papatuanuku the earth mother. Tane was the child that tore his parent’s parental embrace and once done set about clothing his mother in the forest we have here today. All living creatures of the forest are regarded as Tane’s children.
