Kaiori trees are native to New Zealand, this one Tane Mahuta “The Lord of the Forest” is thought to be 2,000 years old. It’s 51.5 meters (about 169 ft.) tall with a huge trunk. Conveniently it decided to grow close to the future road, so the stop is a quick one. 

 

 
After visiting Tane Mahuta we traveled to Trounson Kauri Park to camp overnight. It has a great walk through a living Kaiori Forest. We had to clean our shoes before entering as the feeding roots of Kaiori trees are close to the surface and sensitive to soil and fungus invasion. Much of the path is elevated so foot traffic doesn’t impact the roots.

You can walk along with us through the Trounson Kaiori Forest in this video (47 Sec).