VictoriaApril 26
This morning we drove to Opononi and Omapere, two towns on the west coast along Hotianga Harbor.
We took the short walk to Arai te Uru, the south headland of Hokianga Harbor, where legend has it Kupe first discovered NZ. Also known as the birthplace of the nation, some signatures of the Waitangi Treaty were also signed here.
There were beautiful views of the Tasman Sea and surrounding sand dunes from Signal Station, a treacherous location that lets ships know when to cross into the gulf. A sandbar prevents cruise ships from entering the harbor and a positive result of this is the rich marine life. Frequent visits from whales, dolphins and other marine life are common here.
According to Māori mythology, Arai Te Uru and Niua (the north head of the harbour) were two taniwha (sea monsters) who had the job of guarding the harbour entrance. Their job was to lash out with their powerful tails and stir the waters into such frenzy that invading waka (canoes) would be swamped and rendered helpless in the sea.
We were given permission to freedom camp tonight in the parking lot of Manea Footprints of Kupe, a Māori cultural center.
We had a few hours before our evening tour, so we binged a few episodes of Suits. Almost done with season 2, seven more seasons to go. That doesn’t sound like an accomplishment at all!
At 4.45 p.m., our guide Tawhiri (pronounced Ta-fa-ree) from Footprints Waipoua picked us up in his van and drove us and five other people to see the oldest and largest kauri trees in the world. We chose the sunset tour, which meant we would be the only people in the forest at that time and we also got to see an amazing sunset from an overlook at the top of Opononi-Omapere.
This Māori led tour has been in operation for 12 years. Tawhiri is a member of the Ngapuhi tribe, NZ’s largest. He was friendly, knowledgeable, kind and inquisitive. He enjoyed learning about our backgrounds and cultures as much as we enjoyed learning from him.
We arrived at the 22,000 acre Waipoua forest at sundown. Before entering the forest, we disinfected the bottom of our shoes again to prevent the kauri dieback fungus from destroying the roots of the trees and potentially killing them.
Māori are working on a serum of ground whale bone and whale fat that gets applied to the base of sick trees to help cure them. It’s only fitting that traditional Māori medicine could potentially save these sacred trees.
In Māori mythology, the kauri tree has an oceanic twin: the sperm whale. Ties between Māori and the whale species have been intrinsic throughout history. Whales have guided voyages and saved navigators from death on the water. Their fraternity ensures that the kauri of the forest will always have a whale brother in the sea.
We first stopped at some young kauri trees that were only 20-40 years old. “Babies in the nursery,” Tawhiri said. These trees are called rickers and have branches up the length of their trunk. As they age and the tree gains height and strength, the lower branches are shed.
Another few minutes walk led us to Te Matua Ngahere, “Father of the Forest,” the oldest kauri tree in the world. It is estimated to be about 3,000 years old. As we walked towards the famous kauri tree, Tawhiri started chanting a prayer in Māori. (Click the link to listen.) His beautiful voice resonated throughout the forest. When we reached Te Matua, he sang a blessing in front of the tree and allowed us all a moment of silence.
Tawhiri explained that Te Matua stands at 98 feet tall and has the largest girth (53 ft) of any kauri tree. It has upwards of 40 different plant species growing on top of it, making another ecosystem of its own.
Tawhiri recounted the Māori creation of the world legend that we first learned about on the Tu Tika Tour. The kauri tree is at the heart of the story. Ranginui, god of the sky or Sky Father, and Papatuanuku, the earth mother, lay together in a tight embrace. Tired of living in cramped darkness, their children tried to separate them. Täne, god of the forest, succeeded. In the form of a kauri, he pushed Earth and Sky apart and light filled the world.
With that and flashlights lighting our way out of the now pitch black forest, we encountered an ugly possum — a predator of the forest known for eating bird eggs, especially the endangered kiwis. There wasn’t much we could do but many programs in NZ areas are focused on trying to eradicate them.
We continued walking back to the van the way we came, to be driven to one more stop.
It was a short walk to see Tane Mahuta, “Lord of the Forest.” While Te Matua holds bragging rights as being the oldest kauri tree, Tane Mahuta stands the tallest at 167 feet. Again, Tawhiri sang in respect to the tree as he approached. The peacefulness of being in the forest at night with Tawhiri’s blessing was very moving.
Tawhiri drove us back to our motorhome just before the skies opened and surprised us with a quick, yet powerful storm. It was a fitting end to our evening in the forest with these impressive towering kauri trees in the Waipoura Forest.
