The kauri, Agathis australis, is New Zealand's largest and most famous native tree, on account of its size and age. It is regarded worldwide as a truly noble tree. Ancestors of the kauri first appeared in the Jurassic Period 190-135 million years ago. Kauri - podocarp - hardwood forests are among the most ancient in the world.
The kauri grows in the subtropical northern part of the North Island, with a natural range as far as latitude 38 degrees south, roughly on a line joining Tauranga and Kawhia. However kauri are quite hardy and will grow as far south as Stewart Island (47 degrees south) when planted, but these trees cannot reproduce.
The kauri commonly grows to a height of 30m though are also known to grow much larger than this. It is also the largest tree in New Zealand based on volume, with the famous Tane Mahuta of Waipoua Forest having a trunk volume of over 240 cubic metres.
These majestic giants are under threat by a deadly disease called Kauri Dieback. This fungus-like disease known by Phytophthora taxon Agathis (PTA) infects the kauri roots and damages the tissues that carry nutrients with in the tree. Infected trees show a range of symptoms including yellowing of foliage, loss of leaves, canopy thinning, dead branches and lesions that bleed gum at the base of the trunk. Nearly all infected kauri trees will die.
To help prevent the spread of this disease please follow the following guidelines:
- Make sure shoes, tyres and equipment are cleaned to remove all visible sol and plant material before and after visiting kauri forest.
- Please use the cleaning stations at the start of walking tracks (if installed)
- Stay on the tracks and avoid walking on the kauri roots
Parking for this cache is available at the start of the track for 1-2 cars, more parking is available a little further up the road towards Pirongia in a small layby. Once you've cleaned your shoes with the disinfectant provided at the start of the track, you may make your way along the track to the cache. The track is well marked to the sign and easy to follow, though there were a few places that were quite steep and slippery, so be careful.
When you reach the sign, which shouldn't take you to long, I remember thinking there must be more to this track as the sign says about a hour to the grove, but it took me about 20mins. Continue past and follow the ridge line down to the cache, note the track markers seem to stop at the sign. The cache is located in a kauri grove at the end of the ridge line where it drops away on all sides. GPS coverage wasn't great, so I've also added a spoiler pic. The cache is a 500ml screw top container and will be on the RHS of the ridge line as you walk down to the cache, and roughly 5m from the end of the ridge.