Forest Giant

The forest on the steep land above my house is, I think, pretty much untouched. It's mostly tarairi (Beilschmiedia tarairi), kohekohe (Dysoxylum spectabile) and nikau (Rhopalostylis sapida) with totara (Podocarpus totara) mixed in and the odd rewarewa (Knightia excelsa) here and there. It was a burial place for many years, having at least one deep sinkhole in the limestone rock beneath the volcanic peak, though the tapu has since been removed.


I've been involved with this place since my parents first bought it in 1970, and it's been a huge inspiration over the years, even more so now that I am living here full time.

My dream is to put my 10 acres back into forest - just think how much more life can be supported by 10 acres of forest than can live on 10 acres of steep, struggling pasture. Right now, the gorse is flourishing, but in the gully paddock directly above my house, 30' kanuka (Leptospermum ericoides) has taken over, the gorse is gone, there's a wonderful understorey of mamaku and native seedlings coming up, and it's a beautiful place to wander in.

Birdlife is more abundant already. Ride on, Tane!