Tane Mahuta, Ancient kauri tree in Waipoua Forest, New Zealand.

Tane Mahuta is an ancient kauri tree in Waipoua Forest on New Zealand's North Island. The trunk measures 13.7 meters in circumference and reaches 51.2 meters in height, while the crown spreads across several levels and occupies a wide space in the forest.

Contractors surveying the route of State Highway 12 through Waipoua Forest identified Tāne Mahuta in early January 1924. In 1928, bushman Nicholas Yakas and others building the road came upon the tree again. In April 2009 it was formally partnered with the Japanese cedar Jōmon Sugi on Yakushima Island.

The tree's name comes from Tāne, the Māori god of forests and birds. It stands on Māori land and is still sacred to Māori, who consider it a desecration for outsiders to touch it. In 2012, Lady Davina Lewis and her New Zealand husband Gary Lewis named their son Tane Mahuta after the tree.

A 166-meter boardwalk leads from the parking area to the tree and provides easy access for most visitors. Shoe brushing stations at the start and end of the path help remove pathogens that threaten kauri trees, so all visitors should clean their footwear thoroughly.

Scientists estimate the age between 1250 and 2500 years, meaning this tree may have already been standing when the first Polynesians reached New Zealand. The trunk volume of 244.5 cubic meters supports a network of large upper branches that form a habitat of their own for ferns and epiphytes.