Big Trees Of The Kauri Coast

New Zealand's Kauri trees rival the sequoias of California at least in girth if not in height. Their habitat is dense bush, unlike the open montane forests of California. In Kauri country, one can rarely see beyond the low canopy, and when you come suddenly upon one of the big trees, something that is 5-7m in diameter, it is an astounding experience. They are truly lords of the forest. On this day we visited old friend Tane Mahuta, the greatest of surviving Kauris, but also several others in the Waipoua Forest.

Only 2% of the 19th century Kauris have survived the blades
and sawmills, and NZ is doing what it can to ensure these last
2% survive and thrive

You go into Kauri country, you wash and disinfect your boots,
coming and going, and stay away from the Kauris' shallow
roots, to avoid spreading Kauri die-back disease

Tane Mahuta, the largest of the survivors, about
which I am sure I have blogged before

Rising above the canopy

Now walking through the Waipoua Forest,
gawking at ever more Kauris, none as huge as
Tane Mahuta, but huge enough...

Clothes pin tree

General Grant Tree; wait, no...

The Yakas tree, not one of the hugest examples, but special 
nonetheless...

Because DOC has constructed the boardwalk for Yakas so that you
can actually touch the tree...

Tree huggers

Scale

Yakas

Moving on

The Four Sisters

And others

And finally, Te Matua Ngahere, 2nd largest of
the survivors