Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) is the second tallest kauri tree in New Zealand, the first being Tāne Mahuta. It is in Waipoua Forest in Northland and the oldest of the two, estimated to be over 2,000 years old. The tree was ‘discovered’ by Nicholas Yakas in 1928 when he and other men were working to build the road that is now SH 12.
An easy 20-minute walk along a gravelled path and boardwalks and through a magnificent section of big kauri leads to a viewing platform in front of Te Matua Ngahere. Although it is not as tall as Tāne Mahuta, it is wider and has the nickname “the wall.”
The walk to Te Matua Ngahere is signposted as ‘Kauri Walks’ from SH12. From this car park, you will also see signs for Four Sisters and Yakas Kauri. However, these walks are presently closed.
