Walking In The Redwoods...

I was taken walking amongst the Redwoods
in the Whakarewarewa Forest... One of
Rotorua's most spectacular  natural assets.

We walked among these towering Californian
Coastal Redwoods... The forest has some of the
finest walking and mountain biking trails
in the world.
 

This Redwood Grove was planted in 1901,
the trees 5 meters apart. In 1939 they were
pruned up to 15 meters. Of the original
12 hectares planted only 6 hectares remain today.

4000 hectares were planted throughout New Zealand
in the 1920's - 40's. Only one percent of those
trees remain today.

The largest Redwood in Whakarewarewa is 67 meters tall and 
169 centimeters in diameter. They will grow to 100 meters
and their lifespan is 600 years although they can last 2000 years!

It was wonderful walking through all these trees.
It was cool and quiet and a faint sighing as the
tops of the trees moved in the wind.