Story: Te Waonui a Tāne – forest mythology

Pre-Māori vegetation (1st of 2)

Pre-Māori vegetation

Before people arrived in New Zealand, more than 80% of the country was covered in forests. When the ancestors of Māori first came, they found an environment that was very different from their Polynesian homelands. They had to adjust to the cooler climate and mountainous geography.

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Source: Bateman New Zealand historical atlas: ko papatuanuku e takoto nei. Auckland: David Bateman, 1997, plate 8

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How to cite this page:

Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, 'Te Waonui a Tāne – forest mythology - Tāne and his forests', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/map/13151/pre-maori-vegetation (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, published 24 Sep 2007