Te Waha-o-Rerekohu Pohutukawa. East Cape. New Zealand.
S 37° 37.950 E 178° 22.040
60H E 620647 N 5834079
Te Waha-o-Rerekohu is New Zealand's oldest and largest pohutukawa tree - it's around 600 years old!
Waymark Code: WM49C0
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 07/25/2008
Views: 71
This historic pohutukawa in the East Cape region of New Zealand is called Te Waha o Rerekohu. It grows at Te Araroa in the grounds of Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School, is 65 feet tall with its branches spreading over 120 feet all round and is reputed to be over 600 years old.
Planted long ago when the site was still an important marae named Kawakawa, the tree was named after the pataka (Maori storehouse) built next to it. Rerekohu is a great Maori ancestor of this area and his food was stored in the pataka by the famous giant pohutakawa.
The tree is still strongly tapu today. When the school committee decided recently that one of the lower branches should be cut off to improve the balance of the tree no one could be found willing to do this job and the branch remains.
The tree can be viewed from Moana Parade along the beachfront at Te Araroa. Please respect the history and do not climb on the tree.
Genus/Species: Metrosideros excelsa
Height: 65
Girth: 30
Method of obtaining height: Reliable source
Method of obtaining girth: Arm reaching
Location type: Other public property
Age: 600
Historical significance:
This tree is known as the largest and oldest Pohutukawa tree in New Zealand and in the world.
Rerekohu is a great Maori ancestor of this area and his food was stored in a pataka by the famous giant pohutakawa. For this reason the tree was eventually given the name Te Waha o Rerekohu (the mouth of Rerekohu).
Website reference: [Web Link]
Planter: Not listed
Parking coordinates: Not Listed
Walk time: Not Listed
Photograpy coordinates: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
A closeup picture of your GPS receiver in your hand, with the tree in the background, is required. If the tree is on private property, this closeup photograph with the tree in the background may be taken from the nearest public vantage point without actually going to the tree.
The required photograph does not need to show the entire tree, but the individual tree must be recognizable.