Pureora Forest Park
| Pureora Forest Park | |
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Pureora Forest Park
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 Pureora National Park
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| Location | North Island, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 38°30′S 175°35′E / 38.500°S 175.583°ECoordinates: 38°30′S 175°35′E / 38.500°S 175.583°E |
| Area | 78,000 hectares (190,000 acres) |
| Established | 1978 |
| Governing body | Department of Conservation |
Pureora Forest Park is a 78,000-hectare (190,000-acre)protected area in the North Island of New Zealand. Within its rich rain forest are an abundance of 1,000-year-old podocarp trees. It is "recognised as one of the finest rain forests in the world". Established in 1978, after a series of protests and tree sittings, the park is one of the largest intact tracts of native forest in the North Island and has high conservation value due to the variety of plant life and animal habitats available. New Zealand's largest totara tree is located nearby on private land.
Anti-logging protests were led by conservation activists Stephen King, Shirley Guildford, and others in the late 1970s in what is now Pureora Forest Park. They had a novel way of erecting platforms on treetops, sitting over it to protest logging operations in the forests. The result of their efforts was tri-fold: the park was established in 1978; the Government of New Zealand changed rules to meet the protesters' demand to permanently stop logging operations; and the Native Forest Restoration Trust was formed which ensured that the park develops several areas into its present format. One of the pine forest areas that was restored with native species of trees, with great efforts of Guildford, was named in her memory in 1988 a year after her death as the "Shirley Guildford Grove".
Bounded by the Rangitoto and Hauhungaroa Ranges, Pureora Forest Park is situated between Lake Taupo and Te Kuiti. It is accessible from State Highway 45, which lies to the west of Lake Taupo. Peaks include Mount Pureora (1,165 metres (3,822 ft)), the rock peak of Mount Titiraupenga (1,042 metres (3,419 ft)), and Mount Pukeokahu (844 metres (2,769 ft)). They are popular among the bike trekkers and also the mountain hikers who use the mountain routes through the park to reach the peaks.
Within the park are Waihora Lagoon and Waihora Stream. The Okahukura Stream is east of Okahukura Road. The Waipa Mires can be seen from Select Loop Road. There are several valleys within the park. These include the Mangakahu Valley, as well as the Tunawaea Valley southeast of Otorohanga. The Maramataha Valley is located in the southwestern part of the park and the nearby Maramataha River is impassable in high water.
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Wikipedia