This substantial tōtara is one of the larger trees within Hinewai Reserve on Banks Peninsula, a reserve frequented by hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors each year. The tree is thought to be c600 years old.

Managed by the Maurice White Native Forest Trust, Hinewai is nationally significant for its long-term ecological restoration based on minimal intervention, largely due to the vision and advocacy of botanist and author Hugh Wilson. Once pastoral land, the reserve has demonstrated the value of gorse (Ulex europaeus) as a nurse canopy, supporting native forest regeneration by improving shelter, soil stability, and growing conditions for indigenous species.

The continued presence of this mature tōtara reflects the successful transition from early regenerating shrubland to developing native forest with emergent canopy trees. This specimen may be Hall’s tōtara (Podocarpus laetus), although identification is uncertain but more likely Podocarpus totara. Its size suggests long term favourable site conditions and the continuity of forest regeneration within the reserve.

Nearby, large fallen historic tree trunks show evidence of carbonisation from past fire events, providing insight into earlier forest clearance and highlighting the contrast between historical disturbance and the ongoing recovery of native forest at Hinewai Reserve (Hammer, J.R., 2026).

Reference
About Hinewai Reserve https://www.hinewai.org.nz/