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Story: King Country region

The great forest

Much of the King Country region was covered with forest prior to European settlement. Māori referred to it as Te Nehe-nehe-nui, the great forest. This is the junction of the Whanganui and Ongaruhe rivers, photographed by Alfred Burton in 1885.

Using this item

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

Reference: O.030235

by Burton Brothers

Permission of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Kerryn Pollock, King Country region – Plants and animals, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/34833/the-great-forest (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Kerryn Pollock, published 24 February 2012, updated 1 March 2015.