On the road at 7.34 -- clearly making progress on the getting up early front -- and into Waipoua Forest to see the giant kauri. Kauri are big trees -- thick trunks straight up (little or no tapering) without branches then a burst of branches way up there. They seem to be prized for being chopped down and made into things, if the roadside stores are anything to go by. There's something about kauri gum and gumdiggers as well but I haven't figured it out.
Tane Mahuta is the big one, a 2000 year old big fat tree. It's not the tallest, I think, but on account of being quite tall and quite fat it wins out on the volume front. Te Matu Ngahere, the Father of the Forest, is fatter but not so tall so comes in second. The four sisters are remarkable for being ordinary kauri, ie very big trees (image a big straight up poplar tree with a big bush of branches at the top [or go look it up on Google!]) in a small area, almost like a coppice. The yukas tree is the least remarkable of those that are identified for you to tramp [around] to mostly because it isn't marked at all. You just wander down the boardwalks (the kauris have sensitive roots) and there's this big tree appears from nowhere, no sign, nothing. We walked past it and reached a "path closed" sign before realising our mistake. [You can stand next to the Yukas, though, which makes its size all the more impressive].
The road through the forest is a good bikers' road, there's barely a straight bit for 18km and hardly a corner less than 90 degrees. Straight is a momentary feeling between wheel-locks. We chugged down the road in and out of torrential rain and brilliant sunshine for the next few hours down the west coast across towards the Coromandel peninsular (in better weather) and to Opotere on the east (Pacific) coast (in good weather).
The YHA there has lovely little bungalows and is sat on the bank of a very pretty natural harbour (or was 'til the sandbar, now nature reserve, blocked it off) with steep forested hills all around. A short trek through the woods brings you out onto the Pacific coast where some surfers were trying their luck. We went out to visit the nature reserve but were beaten back by the "do not enter" signs and the little black flies that appeared from nowhere and gave the impression they might be the biting sort.
Back through the forest past more of the possum traps (small wire-frame cages with an egg in). It seems the possum carries a poor reputation with him. Almost as bad as wild ginger for which there are regular advertised "hunts."
Opotere Lodge, Opotere S37.10715
E175.87753 Elev. 39m! 
Copyright 2002 Ian Fitchet. All rights reserved.