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North end of Lake Wahapo.
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DescriptionRobyn Kelly." Lake Wahapo only got formed when the Waitangi River changed course in 1966 - the rest of forest died as could not take the water. For years dead trees stuck up in the newly formed swamp."
From National Geographic.. see External Link below.
THE FUTURE OF OUR FORESTS
Native forest once covered most of Aotearoa in a great green swathe, heaving with biodiversity. Two-thirds fell to fire, axe and bulldozer during a botanical Blitzkrieg the like of which the world has never seen. Today’s forest remnants are confined largely to areas of conservation land, but legislation can’t protect against pathogens, pests and invasive weeds that do not respect park boundaries. What does the future hold for our forests?
WRITTEN BY KENNEDY WARNE PhotographerARNO GASTEIGERMap[1] External LinkNat Geo
From National Geographic.. see External Link below.
THE FUTURE OF OUR FORESTS
Native forest once covered most of Aotearoa in a great green swathe, heaving with biodiversity. Two-thirds fell to fire, axe and bulldozer during a botanical Blitzkrieg the like of which the world has never seen. Today’s forest remnants are confined largely to areas of conservation land, but legislation can’t protect against pathogens, pests and invasive weeds that do not respect park boundaries. What does the future hold for our forests?
WRITTEN BY KENNEDY WARNE PhotographerARNO GASTEIGERMap[1] External LinkNat Geo
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Location (city or town)Lake WahapoLandmark (Place)Lake Wahapo
Category Information
Category TagLake
From Facebook
Date Created2nd November 2020CommentsLake Mahanapua is another possibility
Toby Morris
northern end of lake Wahapo
Bev Warren
Looks like Mahinapua to me.
Joe Abbott
Bob Laing : looks like good timber to me
Charlie Blanchett
Bob Laing no north end of lake Wahapo I used to drive a bus and was past it twice a day
Graham Watson
Charlie Blanchett that's a name from a long time ago.
Charlie Blanchett
Graham Watson Hi Graham good to hear from you great to know you are still in the land of the living cheers
Charlie Blanchett
Graham Watson Hi last job worked in a lumber mil for 20 years just retired as a fitter cheers
Bob Laing
I agree.
Bob Laing
How are my friendly cousin?
Cory Tozer
Toby Morris definately
Graham Watson
Charlie Blanchett good to heaŕ from you. I'm pleased to be in the land of the loving as well. I'm still doing a few hours at the brewery, but hopefully not for much longer. Cheers mate.
Katarina Leaf-Dobbs
Bob Laing Looks like it. We kayaked through there when we were kids.
Peter Armstrong
A lot of it ended up as Butter Box's
Matthew Howard
to hold the butter that came from the farms to feed the people that gave us to life
Alec Birch
Butter boxes and base boards in cheese factory curing rooms, and when they finished with it made marvelous cutting boards for the kitchen.
Owen Winstanley
Alec Birch We have 3 kitchen cutting boards of white pine. One purchased as a fundraiser for Gordon Smith on his selection to tour Britain and France with the NZ League team in 1980. The other two my father got for me when he worked at United Sawmills… See More
Molly McGhie
The forest and the water always so needed
Dave Ogle
i removed some old windows not long ago and the sills were White Pine, very yellow heart. They were a good size, with quite an angle on them, and in perfect condition.
Michelle Clarkson
Dave Ogle white pine or silver pine
Dave Ogle
No oily feel and no smell. I asked a friend with some knowledge of native timbers and he thought WP too. Either are a bit unusual.
Dave Ogle
Im pretty sure its Wahapo, that ridge on the left of the photo runs right along the far side of the lake as you drive. I cut a survey line right along that ridge in those brief sustained yield days.
Gail Callaghan
This looks like the lake Brunner I grew up with, I know it's not but similar
Helen O'Dea
Gail Callaghan very similar
Louise Blair
While drive from hoki to haast there are some very fn tall trees next to the roads. I get a little distracted trying to look at them while driving.
Margi Adamson
Near Okarito
Bob Laing
Margi Adamson
Could be part of lake Maporika
Carrol Barnes - Baker
lake Ianthe.
Michelle Clarkson
Lake Wahapo
John Youngson
North end of Lake Wahapo
Linden Kilkelly
When I was a kid every house had a dining table made of white pine... The wives would scrub it down every day...
Linda Howard
Could be one of so many places on the coast. Wonderful photo.
Bob Laing
Linda Howard
I agree
Bruce Knight
Linda Howard agree. This is probably one of the most typical unique scenes of the Coast. Pure Coast!
Bob Laing
Hi Bruce, I agree. The photo is one of those that shows one of the many hearts of the Coast. Iconic and as you say- very Coast.
Sandra Douglas
Lake wahapo
Robyn Kelly
Lake Wahapo only got formed when the Waitangi River changed course in 1966 - the rest of forest died as could not take the water. For years dead trees stuck up in the newly formed swamp.
Bob Laing
Robyn Kelly
You are right. There is plenty of flax. So the photo is not Lake Wahapo.
Anthea Keenan
Rowing around Lake Kaniere & in Canoe Cove.. timber galore in the lake
Anje Kremer
Lake Wahapo now has more stable water levels becuase there is a power station on it .
Dayle Stephen
Fragments remain ???they cut down Fragments, there's 1000s of acres left
Bryce Smith
So well remembered.
Debbie James
Definitely Lake Wahapo which is a glacial remnant.
The trees did decline after the Waitangi Toana changed course into the Lake in 1966 but are now recovering. Unfortunately this Lake will be filled with Waitangi gravel over the next 100 years, a process already visible from SH6. The effect that will have on Okarito Lagoon (downstream) will be disastrous. NZ’s largest unmodified wetland will be filled with gravel.
Toby Morris
northern end of lake Wahapo
Bev Warren
Looks like Mahinapua to me.
Joe Abbott
Bob Laing : looks like good timber to me
Charlie Blanchett
Bob Laing no north end of lake Wahapo I used to drive a bus and was past it twice a day
Graham Watson
Charlie Blanchett that's a name from a long time ago.
Charlie Blanchett
Graham Watson Hi Graham good to hear from you great to know you are still in the land of the living cheers
Charlie Blanchett
Graham Watson Hi last job worked in a lumber mil for 20 years just retired as a fitter cheers
Bob Laing
I agree.
Bob Laing
How are my friendly cousin?
Cory Tozer
Toby Morris definately
Graham Watson
Charlie Blanchett good to heaŕ from you. I'm pleased to be in the land of the loving as well. I'm still doing a few hours at the brewery, but hopefully not for much longer. Cheers mate.
Katarina Leaf-Dobbs
Bob Laing Looks like it. We kayaked through there when we were kids.
Peter Armstrong
A lot of it ended up as Butter Box's
Matthew Howard
to hold the butter that came from the farms to feed the people that gave us to life
Alec Birch
Butter boxes and base boards in cheese factory curing rooms, and when they finished with it made marvelous cutting boards for the kitchen.
Owen Winstanley
Alec Birch We have 3 kitchen cutting boards of white pine. One purchased as a fundraiser for Gordon Smith on his selection to tour Britain and France with the NZ League team in 1980. The other two my father got for me when he worked at United Sawmills… See More
Molly McGhie
The forest and the water always so needed
Dave Ogle
i removed some old windows not long ago and the sills were White Pine, very yellow heart. They were a good size, with quite an angle on them, and in perfect condition.
Michelle Clarkson
Dave Ogle white pine or silver pine
Dave Ogle
No oily feel and no smell. I asked a friend with some knowledge of native timbers and he thought WP too. Either are a bit unusual.
Dave Ogle
Im pretty sure its Wahapo, that ridge on the left of the photo runs right along the far side of the lake as you drive. I cut a survey line right along that ridge in those brief sustained yield days.
Gail Callaghan
This looks like the lake Brunner I grew up with, I know it's not but similar
Helen O'Dea
Gail Callaghan very similar
Louise Blair
While drive from hoki to haast there are some very fn tall trees next to the roads. I get a little distracted trying to look at them while driving.
Margi Adamson
Near Okarito
Bob Laing
Margi Adamson
Could be part of lake Maporika
Carrol Barnes - Baker
lake Ianthe.
Michelle Clarkson
Lake Wahapo
John Youngson
North end of Lake Wahapo
Linden Kilkelly
When I was a kid every house had a dining table made of white pine... The wives would scrub it down every day...
Linda Howard
Could be one of so many places on the coast. Wonderful photo.
Bob Laing
Linda Howard
I agree
Bruce Knight
Linda Howard agree. This is probably one of the most typical unique scenes of the Coast. Pure Coast!
Bob Laing
Hi Bruce, I agree. The photo is one of those that shows one of the many hearts of the Coast. Iconic and as you say- very Coast.
Sandra Douglas
Lake wahapo
Robyn Kelly
Lake Wahapo only got formed when the Waitangi River changed course in 1966 - the rest of forest died as could not take the water. For years dead trees stuck up in the newly formed swamp.
Bob Laing
Robyn Kelly
You are right. There is plenty of flax. So the photo is not Lake Wahapo.
Anthea Keenan
Rowing around Lake Kaniere & in Canoe Cove.. timber galore in the lake
Anje Kremer
Lake Wahapo now has more stable water levels becuase there is a power station on it .
Dayle Stephen
Fragments remain ???they cut down Fragments, there's 1000s of acres left
Bryce Smith
So well remembered.
Debbie James
Definitely Lake Wahapo which is a glacial remnant.
The trees did decline after the Waitangi Toana changed course into the Lake in 1966 but are now recovering. Unfortunately this Lake will be filled with Waitangi gravel over the next 100 years, a process already visible from SH6. The effect that will have on Okarito Lagoon (downstream) will be disastrous. NZ’s largest unmodified wetland will be filled with gravel.
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West Coast New Zealand History (9th Sep 2025). North end of Lake Wahapo.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 13th Apr 2026 00:35, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28628