These two kauri trees are descendants of Tāne Mahuta, the world’s largest surviving kauri. Standing more than 51 metres tall and known as the god of the forest, Tāne Mahuta watches over the rainforest of Waipoua in the Te Roroa rohe in the North Island.
On 18 February 1975, Tāne Mahuta shed a mature female cone that landed at the feet of Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research scientist Brian Molloy and Dawson Birch, chair of the Waipoua Forest Māori School Committee. Brian, in consultation with Dawson, decided to save the seeds from the cone to ensure a Te Roroa taonga endured.
Back in his Manaaki Whenua laboratory in Canterbury, Brian sowed the seeds and tucked them away in a greenhouse. He was amazed a week later to see they had all germinated, and two of the young seedlings were planted in our Lincoln gardens.
As manuhiri to the South Island – kauri are endemic to the North Island – these trees stand in the waharoa (entrance)of the marae ātea of Te Rauhītanga, where they wait to be welcomed by the tangata whenua (people of this land).
Manaaki Whenua acknowledge this gift from Te Roroa and pledge to take the utmost care of these sacred taonga.
Ko ēnei rākau e rua, he uri rāua nā Tāne Māhuta - te kauri tino kaumātua rawa atu o te ao. Ko te tūpuna rākau nei kei te ngahere o Waipoua e tū ana, kei te taha raki o te Ika a Māui. Neke atu i te 51m tōna tāroaroa. Ko te ngahere o Waipoua he whenua tūpuna – ko te iwi kaitiaki ko Te Roroa.
I te 18 o Huitanguru 1975, i ngahoro mai i Tāne Māhuta tētahi koroī uwha. I taka mai te koroī nei ki mua tonu i te aroaro o Brian Molloy (he kaipūtaiao ki Manaaki Whenua)rāua ko Dawson Birch (te tiamana o te Komiti Kura Māori o te Ngahere o Waipoua). Brian rāua ko Dawson ngā kākano mai roto i te koroī nei kia ora tonu ai ēnei taonga a Te Roroa.
Ā, kia hoki mai anō ki tō Brian taiwhanga pūtaiao ki Waitaha, ka whakatōngia ngā kākano nei, kātahi ka purua ki tētahi whare ahumāra ki Ōtautahi. Whitu rangi whai muri ake, mīharo ana a Brian kia kite atu kua tinaku katoa mai ngā kākano, ā, kua pihi ake ngā tipu hou. Ka mutu, e rua i whakatōngia ki te māra o Manaaki Whenua.
He “waewae tapu” ēnei rākau, arā he manuhiri rāua ki Te Waka a Māui, ki a mātou hoki o Te Rauhītanga. Nō reira kei te tū rāua ki te taha matau o te waharoa o te marae ātea o Te Rauhītanga, anō nei e tatari kau ana rāua kia pōwhiringia e te haukāinga.
Ka tika me mihi nui ki Te Roroa mō tā rātou koha ā rākau ki a Manaaki Whenua. Ko tō mātou kupu taurangi, ka āta manaakihia ngā rākau nei e mātou.
