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DOC Land
Altitude: 137m to 418m. Gain: 541m. Loss: 274m . Gradient: 12 deg (Gentle)
Skills: - Streams (2/6)
1.5 - 2 hour walk up some benched tramway, as well as a few stream crossings and gorge navigation to the largest identified Rata tree in Aotearoa. The tramway was built as part of logging efforts in the 1890's in the Akatarawa region by the Whiteman family.
From the carpark, follow the main gravel road about 50 metres before hanging right into the bush and carrying up the benched tramway. This sidles along up the spur before heading northwards up the little Akatarawa river valley. This is a relatively narrow track, with a steep dropoff to the river below. About 40 mins in you will encounter an approx 7m cliff face, which someone has considerately let a length of rope to assist descending.
After this section, the track meets the river and several river crossings meander as you make your way upstream. There is a gorge section with some beautiful deep pools; some care is required navigating the rocks around this area. After another 40 or so minutes, the terrain levels out, and the track veers NorthEastwards into the bush. A GPS is handy for navigating to the Rata, as the track is easy to miss in places (markers are present in some sections), and a fair bit of bushbashing is required. The following info is from the NZ Notable Tree Register (https://register.notabletrees.org.nz/tree/view/976):
"Discovered by Gerald Arthur in 2008, this tree is estimated to be at least 1000 years old and could perhaps be as much as 1500 years or more. The tree appears to be in quite robust general health, although it has lost many major limbs. It still has about four large foliage-bearing branches. Since 2008, it appears to have suffered no further damage despite gales and heavy snowfalls which have damaged many other trees in the general area. Typical of northern rata it presents as a single trunk but has numerous individual components that fuse or entwine together."
"There were challenges in determining the height of the tree as the top foliage was visible from over 100 metres away through a keyhole in the bush. A second sighting of the top was also possible from a closer surveyed position, giving two heighting observations as a check."