About the Geocache
Deep in Waipoua forest, a beautiful clearing by the roadside is
found.
This marks the place to stop in order to see Tane
Mahuta - the largest living kauri tree in the world.
The co-ordinates given for this cache are for this car parking
area.
Note that whilst Tane (excellent gravel paths/boardwalks) and
the co-ordinates are both wheelchair accessible, the actual hide
location may prove challenging to wheelchair users, especially in
bad weather.
A small path leads you off the road, and into the forest.
The diversity of species of plant life to be seen is absolutely
staggering.
Looking around presents view after view, typical of that shown
opposite.
New Zealand has many varieties of large ferns and palms living
here.
Kauri grass is another native species to be found growing in
amongst the Kauri groves.
The path leads deeper into the forest towards the big
tree...
About Tane Mahuta
God of the Forest
A plaque at the foot of Tane Mahuta (pron. "ta-nay
ma-hoot-a") reads:
"You are in the prescence of one of the most ancient of
trees.
In Maori cosmology, Tane is the son of Ranginui the Sky
Father, and Papatuanuku the Earth Mother. Tane tore his parents
apart, breaking their primal embrace, to bring light, space and air
and allowing life to flourish.
Tane is the life giver - all living creatures are his
children.
This is the largest living Kauri tree in New Zealand (and the
world). It is difficult to accurately estimate the age of Tane
Mahuta. But, it may be that Tane Mahuta sprang from seed around
2000 years ago, during the lifetime of Christ."
The kauri periodically sheds its bark, giving it its hammered
appearance.
This also frees the trunk of clinging epiphytes. An
epiphyte is a plant that derives its moisture and nutrients
from the air and rain, that usually grows on another plant.
The shedding of old branches and leaves also produces a trunk
that is straight-grained, blemish-free and of high quality timber
that can be used for many purposes.
Despite its immense size, kauri has a comparatively shallow and
exposed rooting system with only a few peg roots to anchor the
tree. This makes them subject to being thrown about in the wind
(windthrow).
A humus accumulates at the tree's base, comprising the bark,
leaves and branches that are shed. A mat of feeding roots grows
through the humus and builds to form a mound (or pukahu).
The feeding roots of Kauri trees are shallow and delicate.
Many thousands of visitors' feet falling around Tane Mahuta were
killing the giant tree, so protective paths and platforms were put
around.
The
limbs of the crown sometimes double the height of the tree. The
leaves grow directly onto the bark clustered at the end of the
branchlets of the upraised branches.
More than 30 other species live in the branches of Tane
Mahuta.
The dimensions of Tane Mahuta are:
| Trunk Height: |
17.7 metres |
| Trunk Girth: |
13.8 metres |
| Total Height: |
51.5 metres |
| Volume: |
244.5 metres³ |
Please ensure that you respect the plants and animals here at
all times.
This area is threatened by kauri dieback, so please:
- Make sure shoes, tyres and equipment are clean of dirt before
and after visiting kauri forest.
- Clean shoes and any other equipment that comes into contact
with soil after every visit, especially if moving between bush
areas.
- Keep to defined tracks at all times. Any movement of soil
around the roots of a tree has the potential to spread the
disease.
- Dogs can inadvertently spread the disease if they disturb the
soil around the trees and are not permitted in Waipoua
Forest.
For more information about kauri dieback, please see this page:
Kauri dieback: how you can help.
When in the forest:
| DO NOT LEAVE
THE WALKWAYS |
The boardwalks and paths have been carefully placed to protect
the fragile roots of these awesome trees, whose health is
threatened by even the lightest foot fall. STAY ON THE
BOARDWALKS/PATHS AT ALL TIMES.
Solving the Puzzle
Just find the other three geocaches on the
FaberOptimé Waipoua Forest
Geocache Power Trail (best followed south to north along
SH12) to obtain the exact final co-ordinates:
-
GC1G3AW - Look Out Waipoua!
A quick driveby cache offering spectacular vistas over Waipoua
forest.
- Fancy a good walk?
There's an excellent tramping track (2.5km, about an hour's walk)
through manuka and regenerating podocarp/hardwood, between the
lookout and the Visitor Centre (plan to start/end here if walking
it both ways).
-
GC22327 - Waipoua Visitors
Learn more about the area and the Forest's flora and fauna.
-
GC223BA - Te Matua Ngahere - Father of the Forest
Spend an hour walking in the forest, visiting the Four Sisters and
the oldest (and second largest) living kauri.
- Forest Finders' Bonus @ Tane Mahuta (this
geocache)
A third of the co-ordinates are hidden in each of the three
preceding geocaches, so in order to find this one, you must find
all the other three.
Should be a pretty easy find.
About the Cache
A 400ml Sistema container.
Some stealth may be required at GZ due to spot's public
popularity.
DO NOT try to find if you've not solved
the puzzle!
The cache is not hidden near Tane.
Please ensure that you replace carefully so as it remains not
obvious!
Contents at Placement
- Stash note, log book, pencil, sharpener and silica gel
- Debbie the Dolphin TB
- Smiley face ball
- Smiley face fridge magnet
- Glow stick
- Geocaching badge
This geocache wholly replaces the now archived
GC1G3E2 - God of the Forest geocache.
Video
Click here to
watch a video about Waipoua Forest on YouTube.
It also includes a number of other Northland geocache locales.
Do feel free to rate/comment and/or Subscribe to our
YouTube Channel!
Problems?
Geocaches need
maintenance from time to time (as do we all?!).
If this one looks in need (new log book/container
maintenance/other), please
let us know.