Waipoua Forest
No photograph can compare to the awe of standing beneath Tane Mahuta or in Waipoua Forest's Cathedral Grove of giant kauri trees.
The spectacular kauri provided the backbone of Northland's early European development - spars for shipping masts, golden knot free timber and gum obtained from the ground or bled from living trees.
This exploitation, along with pressure to clear land for farming has left few good examples of the kauri forest which once covered much of the Northland, and of those remaining the Waipoua Forest is the largest and most accessible.
The 1900 hectare forest, which has sanctuary status in keeping with its high ecological value, is 50 kilometres North of Dargaville and for 18 kilometres State Highway 12 provides a spectacular drive through it.
Until recently this road was the subject of tourist horror stories but following the completion of the seal three years ago it has become a drive not to be missed.
Must sees include "Lord of the Forest", Tane Mahuta, which is the largest kauri in existence, measuring 4.4 metres in diameter and 17.7 metres to the first branch. This is a brief walk on an all weather, wheelchair friendly track close to the northern end of the forest.
The oldest and second largest living kauri, Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest), estimated to be 2000 years old is a 20 minute walk from a carpark two kilometers south of Tane Mahuta.
Nearby is the 30 minute walk to the Cathedral Grove, a magnificent stand of large kauri including another forest giant, the Yakas tree, named after an early forest pioneer. Parts can get muddy.
An easy ten minutes stroll from the carpark are the Four Sisters; four kauri growing so close together that they appear to be part of the same tree.
The forest headquarters, a small cluster of buildings in a clearing two kilometres from the highway, include a visitor centre and museum depicting the forest's history and ecology. There is also a grassed picnic and a swimming hole in the picturesque and unpolluted Waipoua River.
Walking tracks in the forest range from the brief strolls to treks taking several hours.
One near headquarters involves a two hour (return) climb to a former fire lookout with spectacular views over the kauri forest and the pine plantations on its seaward side.
A converted 4WD army vehicle - "Bigfoot" - provides all day trips down Ripiro Beach, accessing the beach down the steep side Mahuta gap and travelling down to Pouto, providing knowledgeable commentary on the way. It returns by road or vice versa depending on tides.
Horse treks are available at Baylys Beach which are another excellent way of seeing shorter sections of the coast.
The Waipoua area has a long historical connection with local tangata whenua (people of the land) Te Iwi o Te Roroa, who take considerable interest in its management.
The forest was purchased by the government in 1878 although this dis not assure its preservation as for many years there was debate over its future.
Pressure for its protection increased after the turn of the century, and grew further after logging for wartime boat building in the 1940's, finally leading to sanctuary status - the ultimate protection - in 1952.
The road linking Northern Wairoa with the Hokianga - quite an achievement in its day - was opened in 1028, making the forest more accessible to visitors.
Sealing of the route was another roading feat, this time in environmental terms and among unique measures taken to protect the bush were the building of "root bridges" over vulnerable roots of several large roadside kauri, allowing them to feed and also to prevent damage from traffic.
Kauri is found from the North Cape to about Te Puke.
As a young tree is has a narrow conical shape with branches along the length of the trunk. As it gains height the lower branches are shed and eventually the top branches develop into a massive spreading crown. The bark is hed in thick flakes of varying size.
Also prolific in the Waipoua Forest are other large trees such as taraiare, kohekohe, towai and northern rata.
Possums placed the future of some species at risk until an eradication campaign several years ago made a noticeable difference to the forest health.
Wildlife in Waipoua and the adjoining Mataraua and Waima forests include the endangered North Island kokako and the forests are thought to contain the largest remaining population of North Island brown kiwi. The native pigeon, kukupa, the decline of which is causing concern throughout Northland, is reasonably common.