The Aupouri Peninsula is a tombolo at the northern tip of the North Island of New Zealand. It projects between the Tasman Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. It constitutes the northern part of the Far North District, incorporating North Cape, Houhora and the northern half of Awanui.
Throughout your drive along SH1 to Cape Reinga you will see many stands of pinus radiata in all states of growth, from seedlings to those being harvested. You will also see several logging trucks - both empty travelling North, and fully laden heading South. Be careful and watchful at all times. If parking, be sure to be fully off the road so as not to be a hazard.
"The first official attention to the possibility of establishing a large exotic forest on the Aupouri Peninsula probably dates back to the 1920s. During the 1920s, when it became apparent that the predominantly Maori communities of Te Hapua and Te Kao were among the most poverty-stricken in New Zealand, the new State Forest Service [SFS] explored the Far North. In about 1927, VT Fail wrote for the SFS a 'Reconnaissance Report on the Territory lying between Waipapakauri and Spirits Bay'. In it he described both the human and the physical geography of the Aupouri Peninsula, before proposing large-scale forestry development. His careful account is a major historical document.", from A HISTORY OF THE AUPOURI STATE FOREST [ Me mahi tatou-Kia kaha te iwi / To strive together for strength in unity] A report commissioned by the Waitangi Tribunal, Barry Rigby, December 1999
Following decades of indecision, the NZ Forest Service began stabilising the sand dunes with maram grass in the 1960s to be followed by planting of pinus radiata as a cash crop to help the economy of the Far North. The area is now being logged (and replanted) and there is a steady stream of logging trucks moving logs to the Juken Nissho triboard mill in Kaitaia, local sawmills in Northland, and to the export market based out of Marsden Point, Whangarei.
This Aupouri Forest is a major source of employment to the Far North.
This cache is to bring you to the short private road to the Forestry Headquarters for the Aupouri State Forest. Be careful parking so as to not block the access, and watch out for your geokids.
Access to the forest is possible from time to time, but permits are essential. Summit Forests manage the area, and they advise the following:
"It is important for Summit that we share our estate with the community, and as such we allow restricted access to our estate for activities such as recreational hunting, walking, horse riding and general recreation. However, for safety reasons access is strictly by permit only!
To obtain an access permit:
1. For Northland Forests, please contact our Northland Office on: +64 9 406 7024"
The cache is a simple small container with no room for swaps - only a log, but bring your own pen.