Fire threat to last kaiko¯mako tree causes sleepless night

A Far North kaitiaki was horrified when a fire on Manawata¯whi Island/ Great Island threatened a rare tree.

Two Skyworks helicopters dropped 55,000 litres of water on the 15 by 25-metre blaze which was spotted on the island, about 60km northwest of Cape Re¯inga, by a charter boat about 9.30pm on Saturday.

Helicopters took up to four hours to put out the blaze, which was on the island’s eastern side — fortunately away from the kaiko¯mako (Pennantia baylisiana) tree, believed to be the only one left and among the world’s rarest trees.

The fire shocked Nga¯ti Kuri trustee Sheridan Waitai, whose iwi was manawhenua of the island.

“[It was] just horror, we didn’t sleep all night because we’ve got kaiko¯mako, the world’s rarest tree, on the island,” she said. “It would have been devastating, just devastating [if we’d lost the kaiko¯mako].”

It was initially believed the island’s first significant fire in over a decade had been started by a lightning strike but investigations found that was unlikely and the cause was unknown.

Bought by the Crown from Ma¯ori in 1908, the island was deemed a nature reserve in 1956 for the preservation of flora and fauna. Waitai said:

“We know what’s on the island intimately so everyone’s feeling quite sad and overwhelmed, but it could have been worse.”

She urged anyone who planned to sail or fish near the island to watch out for any fires, or anyone with flammable substances. All unauthorised visits to the island were illegal.