Mr. Mahuta

Tane Mahuta is a tree. A tree with a name. Translated, Tane Mahuta means Lord of the Forest.

In Maori mythology, Tane is the son of Ranganui, the sky father, and Papatuanuku, the earth mother. The two lived in close embrace and their children lived between them in darkness. Tane tore his parents apart to bring light, space and air. In Maori mythology, this is how the earth came into being. Tane is therefore the protector of all life, all plants, animals and people.

Here in the forest, Tane Mahuta is the oldest tree in New Zealand, a kauri tree and it is gigantic. Over 51m high and it has a circumference of almost 14m. Then you just stand in front of it in amazement. Its age can only be estimated, but it is believed to be more than 2,000 years old.

But before I go into the forest, I first had to go through a disinfection station. Looks funny, but has a serious background. First brush your shoes well, then disinfect them and then run them dry. And then always stay on the path. The reason is the roots of the kauri trees, which probably don't go that deep into the ground and are very sensitive.

Originally, almost all of New Zealand was probably covered with kauri trees. They can now only be found in a few places north of Auckland. They are considered endangered and these protective measures are in place to protect this small part.