Maori Tour to New Zealand’s Largest Tree – Day 360

Tonight we are walking at twilight among forest giants.

We are gonna hear about the local Maori legends and we’re going to meet the Father of the Forest.

This evening we are joining Merepeae from Footprint Waipoua for a twilight tour around the Kauri forest in the area. It’s an amazing way to discover the Maori legends surrounding this amazing area and it starts with a bit of history about kupe, a Maori explorer.

Before he left he went further inland where a place called hauriki he came across this freshwater spring. He knelt down and he took his last drink from the spring and he uttered these words [words in the Moari language]. Farewell the spring of the small world. [te reo Maori]. I am leaving now. [te reo Maori]. And I will not return. Hence the naming of this area here, Te Hokianga Kupe – the great returning of Kupe.

Now feel free to ask questions tonight cos that’s what it’s all about otherwise it’s gonna be me talking.

After checking out those amazing views of the Hokianga Harbour we’re driving into the Waipoua Forest where Mere paea is playing some bird calls that we’re likely to hear in the forest at night including the elusive kiwi bird.

[bird calls]

Is that the kiwi bird?

Yeah!

Our first stop this evening is at Tane Mahuta which is the largest kauri tree in New Zealand and we need to wipe our feet first before entering the forest because of a disease called dieback which is spread by the roots.

So New Zealand first and foremost was a very dark place. There was a total void Gondwanaland [te reo Maori] our two parents of creation Sky Father and Earth Mother they were both drawn together with an enternal embrance the trees our eternal Gods were sick and tired with living with in that world of darkness they tried to operate their parents each and everyone of them tried and failing every time all except Tane Mahuta. He laid against his mother’s chest, his feet against his father, Tane pushed and pushed. Despite his parents leading and crying begging him not to to push them, Tane pushed them both forcing his father to the sky leaving them where they are today letting in light creating life for us here. And even though Tane Mahuta stands here majestically, we believe that he personifies that separation.

[Maori song]

So I heard a story that the early Maori used to put the silver fern on the floor to guide to guide their way back home in the moonlight or something like that did that, is that a real story or did someone just?

Nah that’s a real story so the moon was used for navigational purposes oh yeah, and that’s what they did.

After checking out Tane Mahuta we are now hopping back in the car and we are making our way a little further into basically the same forest because we want to check out the second largest kauri tree in the area which is Tane Matua Ngahere.

And once more before entering the forest we clean our shoes.

[Maori chant]

We are here this evening because you are the separator of Sky Father and Earth Mother so we are here for greetings, greetings, greetings to you Tane.

Oh possum!

The Department of Conservation of New Zealand workds really hard to try to eradicate possum from the Kauri forest in the area because they are a threat to the native wildlife as well as the native trees but it looks like this one is agile enough to get away so we are moving on with our tour.

This is a native pineapple.

Native pineapple?!

Does it taste like a pineapple?

It tastes like a pineapple.

Really?

I’ve never heard of that.

Walking with a local guide really opens up our eyes to amazing things that we see in the forest and one of the things that she’s pointing out is a giant snail called a kauri snail.

[Maori chant]

Robin, Laura welcome to the Father of the Forest. Tane Matua Ngahere.

Oh my God that’s the biggest tree I’ve ever seen in my life.

That’s amazing.

[Maori song]

This tour is the perfect mix of nature and culture so if you are travelling in the Northland region and in particularly in the Hokianga Harbour don’t miss this amazing tour with Footprints Waipoua – we are so glad that we took the time to this this evening.

She’s sharing a lot of Maori knowledge and also a few medicinal remedies so this berry right hear apparently is for when you cannot take a SHEEP – you take a couple of those ones when they are orange and you run to the bathroom and you should be standing on the bathroom for two hours. So there’s a tonne of things we are learning right now if ever Laura is constipated I’ll give her some berries.