Pouakani

Grateful for the work that's been done on the track and around the tree since my last visits (steps, pontoon, arrows, viewing platforms...)
May 3rd, 2023

Nice walk through the bush. Serene and back to nature experience.
Mar 23rd, 2023

Out of curiosity, follow the signposts and, at the end of a beautiful forest path, discover the fifth thickest tree in New Zealand, a totara, entirely by accident.
Mar 11th, 2023

There is very little signage or information here. It is a 20min easy walk in. About 10min in you will see one fairly large Totara with a barrier. This is not Pouakani, keep going, it has two barriers around it and a sign saying respect the tree. Pouakani Ttara It is a privilege to be in the presence of such an old life form. This is one of the greatest trees in NZ, and one of the largest and oldest Podocarps in the entire world. Ttara are conifers. In the rest of the world these are mostly short trees, but in NZ we have the most enormous and unique conifers found on Earth, including ttara, rimu, kahikatea, matai and miro. Pouakani Age 1,800 years Girth over 12m Height 42m It takes 500yrs for a Totara to reach maturity. ttara was the star of European settlement in NZ. All the things that made it the most valuable of trees to Mori its a light, rot and water-resistant, straight-grained, easy-to-split, easy-to-carve wood were also of enormous value to settlers, who cut down forests at a time to build houses, bridges, railway sleepers, wharves, furniture and art. One of the worlds most wonderful and beautiful timbers. Its a special part of New Zealand. Which is why there are almost none left of this age. The name, To means stem or stalk; tara means spiky or sharp. Ttara was the important tree to Mori in their everyday life, with the wood used in carvings, and the bark shaped into storage containers (patua and ph) for preserving food. Nearly all of the most treasured carvings in New Zealand are made from ttara. Totara contain totarol which has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties and is the reason why the wood is resistant to rotting. Totara leaves last a long time up to 45 years. Youll sometimes hear people referring to a mighty ttara falling when someone important dies. It comes from an old proverb, denoting how valued the ttara tree was to Maori culture: Kua hinga te ttara i te wao nui a Tane. The ttara has fallen in the forest of Tane. From Ttara A Natural and Cultural History By Philip Simpson
Jan 9th, 2023

Dec 16th, 2022