Te Matua Ngahere

Te Matua Ngahere
Te Matua Ngahere Agathis australis
Information
Street:	State Highway 12
Town:	Wekaweka
Age:	2000+ (est)
Governing Bodies:	Department of Conservation, Government of New Zealand
Scientific Classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Araucariaceae
Genus:	Agathis
Species:	Agathis australis

Te Matua Ngahere is a giant kauri (Agathis australis) coniferous tree in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand. The tree's Maori name means "Father of the Forest". Although not as massive or tall as its neighbour Tāne Mahuta, Te Matua Ngahere is stouter, with a girth just over 16 metres (52 ft). It is believed to be the second largest living kauri tree, and to have the biggest girth of any kauri in the country. According to The New Zealand Herald, it has the biggest girth of any tree in New Zealand.

As there is no proof of the tree’s age, it is variously estimated to be between 1200 and 2000 years old; or between 2000 and 3000 years old; or even 4000 years old. One resource, published by National Geographic Books, claims that Te Matua Ngahere may be the oldest tree in New Zealand, while another suggests that it's the oldest rainforest tree on earth.

Revered by the Māori, Te Matua Ngahere is under their special protection. The tree, a remnant of the ancient rain forest that once grew on the North Auckland Peninsula, has a relationship with other flora, such as orchids, clubmoss, and a rata tree that grew on it. Unfortunately, the Te Matua Ngahere suffered severe damage in July 2007, due to extreme winter storms in Northland when the rata which was growing on top of Te Matua Ngahere, was felled by strong storm winds, and took with it the central leader of Te Matua Ngahere plus several of its branches, thus shortening its life by hundreds of years.

The ancient tree is considered to be a natural heritage of New Zealand. It is generally considered to be over 1500 years old, and was first discovered in February 1937. Forest conservationists estimate that such trees live for about 4000 years, but the life span of Te Matua Ngahere should shorten due to the damage from the 2007 storm winds. This storm also resulted in the fallen rata tree and other plants which are expected to provide excellent clues to the scientific ecological study of the fallen wood and plants.