Tāne Mahuta

Lord of the Forest.

Tāne Mahuta is a giant Kauri tree (Agathis Australis) in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand. Its age is unknown, but is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years It is the largest kauri known to stand today.

The tree is a remnant of the ancient subtropical rainforest that once grew on the North Auckland Peninsula. Other giant Kauri are found nearby, notably Te Matua Ngahere. Tāne Mahuta is the most famous tree in New Zealand, along with Te Matua Ngahere. It is thought it was discovered and identified in the 1920s when contractors surveyed the present State Highway 12 route through the forest. In 1928 Nicholas Yakas and other bushmen, who was building the road, also identified the tree