The Dome Forest is a forested area of Rodney in the Auckland Region of New Zealand.
| Dome Forest | |
|---|---|
 A view of the Dome Valley from the Dome Forest Walkway | |
 | |
| Coordinates | 36°21′47″S 174°37′12″E / 36.363°S 174.620°E |
Geography
editThe forest is an area seven kilometres north-west of the township of Warkworth.[1] A forested area above the Dome Valley, the Dome Forest is dominated by a ridge, the highest point being the 336-metre tall peak known as the Dome.[2][3] The Te Araroa Trail follows the ridgeline of the forest.[2] The land is formed from erosion-resistant Waitemata sandstone.[1]
The native forest areas is dominated by podocarp and broadleaf species.[4] Some areas feature much older forest of mature rimu, tōtara, miro, kawaka and northern rātā,[4] and notably the Waiwhiu Kauri Grove, an area featuring 20 large kauri trees.[1] Species of Carmichaelia, the New Zealand broom, can be commonly found in the forest.[4]
History
editThe traditional name for the Dome (the peak in the forest) was Tohitohi o Rei, a name referencing the ancestress Reipae of the Tainui migratory waka. Tohitohi o Rei is a location mentioned in a traditional story of Reitū and Reipae. Reipae travelled around the North Island with her sister Reitū on the back of a large bird, rested at the peak.[1]
The forest is primarily owned by the Crown and managed by the Department of Conservation, and includes both commercial forest and areas of regenerating native forest.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Cameron, Ewen; Hayward, Bruce; Murdoch, Graeme (2008). A Field Guide to Auckland: Exploring the Region's Natural and Historical Heritage (rev. ed.). Random House New Zealand. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-86962-1513.
- ^ a b "Dome Forest". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "The Dome". New Zealand Gazetteer. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ a b c Janssen, Peter (January 2021). Greater Auckland Walks. New Holland Publishers. p. 26. ISBN 978-1-86966-516-6. Wikidata Q118136068.
- ^ "Auckland: Four of the best bush hikes". The New Zealand Herald. 18 January 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2022.