Riverhead Forest
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Riverhead Forest is a former state-owned forest to the north-west of
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. Originally a
kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...
-dense native forest, the area was logged and the soil dug for
kauri gum Kauri gum is resin from kauri trees (''Agathis australis''), which historically had several important industrial uses. It can also be used to make crafts such as jewellery. Kauri forests once covered much of the North Island of New Zealand, bef ...
during the Colonial Era of New Zealand. In the 1920s, the area was designated as a state forest where ''
Pinus radiata ''Pinus radiata'' ( syn. ''Pinus insignis''), the Monterey pine, insignis pine or radiata pine, is a species of pine native to the Central Coast of California and Mexico (on Guadalupe Island and Cedros island). It is an evergreen conifer in t ...
'' was grown. The forest is known for its recreational pursuits, including
paintball Paintball is a competitive sport, competitive team sport, team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called Paintball equipment#Paintballs, paintballs that b ...
, horse trekking and hunting. Most of the forest has now been returned to
iwi Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori, roughly means or , and is often translated as "tribe". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, and is typically pluralised as such in English. ...
ownership through the Treaty settlement process.


Geography

The forest is 4,846 hectares in size. The forest is bordered by the Auckland townships of
Huapai Huapai is a locality north-west of Auckland, New Zealand. New Zealand State Highway 16, State Highway 16 and the North Auckland Line, North Auckland Railway Line pass through it. Kumeū is adjacent to the east, Riverhead, New Zealand, Riverhead ...
,
Kumeū Kumeū is a town in the Auckland Region, situated north-west of the Auckland CBD, City Centre in New Zealand. New Zealand State Highway 16, State Highway 16 and the North Auckland Line pass through the town. Huapai lies to the west, Riverhead, N ...
and Riverhead to the south, and the affluent rural community of Coatesville to the east. To the north and west, the forest is bordered by rural areas of Rodney, including the vineyards of West Auckland. The forest is named after the township of Riverhead.


Climate

The coldest temperature recorded in the
Auckland Region Auckland () is one of the 16 regions of New Zealand, which takes its name from the eponymous urban areas of New Zealand, urban area. The region encompasses the Auckland, Auckland metropolitan area, smaller towns, rural areas, and the islands o ...
, was recorded at Riverhead Forest in June 1936.


History

The land was purchased from
Ngāti Whātua Ngāti Whātua is a Māori iwi (tribe) of the lower Northland Peninsula of New Zealand's North Island. It comprises a confederation of four hapū (subtribes) interconnected both by ancestry and by association over time: Te Uri-o-Hau, Te Roroa ...
in the mid-1800s. The future location of the Riverhead Forest was isolated, and so remained mostly unoccupied. Originally a native forest primarily consisting of
kauri ''Agathis'', commonly known as kauri or dammara, is a genus of evergreen coniferous trees, native to Australasia and Southeast Asia. It is one of three extant genera in the family Araucariaceae, alongside '' Wollemia'' and ''Araucaria'' (being ...
trees, the area was logged and
kauri gum Kauri gum is resin from kauri trees (''Agathis australis''), which historically had several important industrial uses. It can also be used to make crafts such as jewellery. Kauri forests once covered much of the North Island of New Zealand, bef ...
was dug from the soil. Gumdigging was profitable in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and at its peak there were 12 gumdigger camps in the Riverhead Forest area. In the early 20th century as transport connections to the area improved, there was greater public pressure to release the land for agriculture. In the 1920s, the
New Zealand Government The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifica ...
intended to divide the area into 36 allotments, as a part of the Riverhead Homestead Settlement scheme. In 1926, the land was designated as a production forest by the state, after the Commissioner of Crown Lands suggested the area for this use a year earlier. Private land within the forest borders was purchased by the state, and tree planting began in 1927, with most of the forest planted by 1933. The first generation of pine trees failed, due to phosphate deficiency in the soil. After this was identified as an issue in the 1950s, the pine forest began to thrive. The findings at the Riverhead Forest were important for New Zealand forestry, as this led to forestry soils being tested to ensure a correct nutrient balance was available. The forest was formerly owned by the
New Zealand Government The New Zealand Government () is the central government through which political authority is exercised in New Zealand. As in most other parliamentary democracies, the term "Government" refers chiefly to the executive branch, and more specifica ...
, and was administered by
Carter Holt Harvey __NOTOC__ Carter Holt Harvey Limited is a privately-owned New Zealandbased company controlled by Rank Group Limited, the corporate vehicle of the country's richest man, Graeme Hart. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the company has three main divi ...
, which purchased tree cutting rights in 1990. Most of the forest land has now been vested in the ownership of
Te Kawerau ā Maki Te Kawerau ā Maki, Te Kawerau a Maki, or Te Kawerau-a-Maki is a Māori ''iwi'' (tribe) of the Auckland Region of New Zealand. Predominantly based in West Auckland (Hikurangi also known as Waitākere), it had 251 registered adult members as of J ...
through their treaty settlement. The forest license now sits with
Rayonier Rayonier Inc, headquartered in Wildlight, Florida, is a timberland real estate investment trust ("REIT") with assets located in softwood timber growing regions in the United States and New Zealand. Its core business segments are timber and rea ...
Matariki Forests, which purchased Carter Holt Harvey's assets in 2005.


Recreation

The forest is known for biking and horse trails. Riverhead Forest is host to events involving mountain bikers,
four-wheel drive A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...
vehicles and dog sled drivers. The forest is also popular in winter months for hunters looking for wild pigs, and is the location of the longest running
paintball Paintball is a competitive sport, competitive team sport, team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called Paintball equipment#Paintballs, paintballs that b ...
field, which has been operating since 1985.


Gallery

File:Riverhead Forest 20211205 124339.jpg, View of the Riverhead Forest looking south towards
Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
File:Riverhead Forest 20211205 124135.jpg, Recently felled section of the Riverhead Forest File:Riverhead Forest - XTerra Race 3.jpg,
Trail runners A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...
competing in the XTerra Trail Run Series in 2009 File:Riverhead Forest - Remains of the mill and the upper harbour.jpg, Remains of the Riverhead Forest mill


References

{{Rodney Local Board Area Kumeū Subdivision Forestry in New Zealand Forests of New Zealand Landforms of the Auckland Region Outdoor recreation in New Zealand Rodney Local Board Area