Tane Mahuta: the ancient lord of the forest (9 photos)
It stands over 51 metres tall and has a trunk girth of over 13 metres. Tane Mahuta is the largest surviving kauri tree in New Zealand, an ancient giant estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years old. When the Roman Empire was just beginning, it was already reaching for the sky. 
It was discovered in the 1920s when State Highway 12 was being built through the Waipoua Forest in the Northland region of New Zealand. And since then he has become a living legend - the last giant of the subtropical forests that once covered the northern Auckland Peninsula.
Son of Heaven and Earth 
Ranginui and Papatuanuku
The name Tane Mahuta comes from Maori legends. In Maori myths, Tane is the son of Ranginui (Father Sky) and Papatuanuku (Mother Earth). It was he who separated his parents, creating a world filled with light and life. And all living creatures of the forest are considered his children. 
The giant kauri seems to embody this legend: its mighty branches stretch to the sky, and its roots go deep into the earth, connecting two worlds.
Kinship across the oceans 
Jomon Sugi Cedar
In April 2009, an unusual event occurred: Tane Mahuta officially became related to a Japanese giant - the ancient Jomon Sugi cedar from Yakushima Island. Two long-lived trees, separated by thousands of kilometers, became symbolic brothers, reminding people of the fragility and value of natural heritage.
Battle for Life 
Kaury tree "Tāne Mahuta" in Waipoua forest
But even giants have their work cut out. In 2013, when drought parched New Zealand forests, 10,000 litres of water from a nearby stream were sent to the foot of Tāne Mahuta - the ancient guardian of the forest began to suffer from dehydration. 
And in 2018, a new threat loomed over the tree - a deadly kauri disease caused by an aggressive fungus. Many of its fellows have already died, but the New Zealand Department of Conservation has thrown all its efforts into saving the legendary tree. A special protection plan has been developed, because losing Tane Mahutu means losing a part of the soul of these forests.
A name given with love 
The majestic tree inspires not only conservationists. In 2012, Lady Davina Lewis, daughter of the Duke of Gloucester, and her New Zealand husband Gary Lewis named their son Tane Mahuta, after the forest lord. Thus, the ancient giant found another connecting thread with people, becoming not only a symbol of nature, but also a part of human history.
A symbol of eternity 
While there are other giant kauri in these forests, Tane Mahuta outshines them all. He is not just a tree - he is a keeper of time, a silent witness of the epochs.
To pass by him is to step into the past. The rustling of its leaves is the voice of an ancient forest that remembers what the world was like thousands of years ago.
And while its branches reach for the sun, Tane Mahuta continues to stand - majestic, mysterious, almost immortal. 
