If the great kauri forests of Northland are New Zealand's untamed jungle, then Tane Mahuta is the undisputed king of this domain.
The largest living kauri in New Zealand, Tane Mahuta has a 13.77-metre girth, a trunk height of 17.68 metres and a total height of 51.5 metres.
Located a short five-minute walk along flat paths, just off State Highway 12 in Northland, this "lord of the forest" has a competitor who has a fair way to go before he hits the same dizzying heights.
His name is Te Matua Ngahere, "father of the forest", and he is currently the second overall largest living kauri in the country, with a girth of 16.41 metres and a total height of just under 30 metres.
Nearby are the four sisters who, though smaller, are spectacular simply because of their clustered planting.
Reading these wooded statistics does nothing to depict just how majestic and awe-inspiring these giants are. They truly have to be seen to be believed and are worth the easy trek via well-maintained boardwalks within Waipoua Forest.
This is just the start of the Kauri Coast's eco-wonders.
At Trounson Kauri Park discover the nocturnal secrets of the kauri world including kauri snails, wetas and the North Island brown kiwi.
By day, the award-winning exhibits at the Kauri Museum in Matakohe bring the past to life, telling the stories of the men and women whose lives became inextricably intertwined with these ancient trees.