COROMANDEL GIANTS

While most New Zealanders are familiar with the giant kauri of the Waipoua Forest, not so many know about the remaining giants of the Coromandel. In fact, of the great trees listed in The World of the Kauri (Halkett, J. & Sale, EV, Reed Methuen,1986), Coromandel kauri are ranked 6th (Tanenui), and 9th (Tairua) in the “Top Ten”, with another four listed amongst the next ten.

The Great Coromandel Trees

The largest kauri on the Coromandel, ranked by volume using assessment methods of the former NZ Forest Service: Click here for a map of Kauri Giants

Rank	Name	Locality	Girth (m)	Clean Bole (m)	Merch Bole (m)	Merch Vol. (m3)	Date
1	Tanenui	Manaia Sanctuary	10.97	15.85	18.30	135.6	13/5/76
2	Tairua 1	3rd Branch	9.78	19.20	22.86	128.3	5/7/79
3	Te Hue	Maratoto Valley	11.02	9.75	20.00	115.4	22/2/94
4	Otamakite	Pulham Stm	10.54	7.80	13.82	110.5	1976
5	Rua Mano	Puriri S/R	9.65	15.50	15.50	109.4	16/12/98
6	Mc Isaacs	McIsaac's St.	11.28	11.40	11.40	106.7	1972
7	Te Wainora	Kauaeranga Valley	9.80	11.00	22.00	106.1	1/3/96
8	Te Waipaheke	Maratoto Valley	10.35	11.25	18.50	104.6	10/1/95
9	Devcich	Kopu‑Hikuai	10.54	12.55	12.55	101.6	1976
10	Opitonui	Whangapoua	10.20	10.75	17.15	100.7	7/1/97
11	Te Waiwawa	Waiwawa C	10.00	11.75	16.75	99.2	1/3/96
12	No. 93	Manaia Sanctuary	9.32	15.85	15.85	96.9	22/10/70
13	Waitawheta 1	Katikati Blk	9.40	13.61	13.61	96.5	1980
14	Waitawheta 2	Katikati BIk	9.25	12.29	12.29	83.7	1980
15	No. 77	Manaia Sanctuary	8.53	16,46	16.46	83.3	21/10/70
16	No. 251	Manaia Sanctuary	12.09	8.50	14.00	82.4	3/11/70
17	No. 139	Manaia Sanctuary	7.44	21.34	21.34	77.4	23/10/70
18	No. 112	Manaia Sanctuary	9.30	14.63	14.63	72.2	22/10/70
19	No. 268	Manaia Sanctuary	8.84	12.80	12.80	69.9	3/11/70
20	Pakirarahi	Neavesville	8.00	13.50	19.50	69.8	16/12/98
21	Square Kauri	Tapu Hill	8.76	12.80	12.80	69.8	1975
22	Kakatarahae	Manaia Sane	8.48	12.19	21.34	69.2	22/10/70
23	No. 313	Manaia Sane	7.47	18.30	18.30	68.5	4/11/70
24	Te Ongohi	Ongohi V	9.77	7.00	7.00	66.7	6/5/97
25	Te Hiki	Maratoto V	7.05	18.00	18.00	59.5	10/1/95
26	Ongohi 2	Ongohi V	6.85	18.00	18.00	56.3	6/5/97
27	No. 288	Manaia Sane	9.98	7.32	7.32	56.3	4/11/70
28	Waiomu No. 1	Waiomu V	7.70	13.00	13.00	53.0	19/11/93
29	Hamon	Finlayson Stm	12.45	4.67	4.67	39.7	31/12/70
30	McCabe	Wharekawa R	6.37	13.00	13.00	35.4	1981
31	Thwaites	Kennedy Bay	7.85	4.20	9.20	31.3	26/1/02

Kauri on the Peninsula - The State of Kauri on the Coromandel Peninsula

Manaia Sanctuary

There are approximately 410 mainly overmature trees in an area of 101 hectares. Average bole height 12.2 metres, average girth 4.98 metres, average volume 20.4 cubic metres

In the heyday of kauri logging an estimated 236,000m³ per annum was milled. This equals a volume equivalent to 28 Manaia Sanctuaries annually, over 2,800ha.

Waiau Falls Scenic Reserve

Located on the 309 Road, this has several dozen large mature kauri trees.

Waiomu Valley

More than 200 trees, with an estimated average volume of 10m³. The stand is in excellent condition with very good crowns and some light bleed marks (v pattern) completely healed over.

The girth of the largest tree was 7.518 metres in 1970 and remeasured at 7.696 metres in 1993. So over 23 years the girth increased in diameter terms by 5.3 centimetres.

Third Branch Tairua River

Over 300 dying and decaying over-mature trees with an estimated average tree volume of 14.1m³.

Coromandel Range Flanks & Hinterland

There is a scattering of mature kauri trees on the Range flanks and hinterland outside the above areas guestimated at 500+ in number.

There are also quite substantial areas of seedlings, saplings and poles principally in the Kennedy Bay, Otama and Whenuakite areas, with scatterings elsewhere