About Pohokura

Pohokura comprises 11,348 hectares of native forest north of the
Napier-Taupo highway in the Central North Island. The area is
predominantly covered in Red Beech forest but fourteen vegetation
types have been identified.

Simon Hall, who purchased this property in 1999, is committed to
realising Pohokura’s ecological potential as far as is practically and
financially feasible. Since 1999 he has established, at his own expense,
good back-country infrastructure, necessary for continued project work
and recreational activity.

This includes 120km of walking track, eight huts and other accommodation,
vehicles, equipment and communications.

Archaeology

Little evidence indicating past Maori occupation had been recorded at
Pohokura since Simon Hall purchased the property in 1999. But in 2009 a
hunting party discovered a piece of obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. It had a distinctive flake pattern along two of its edges, indicating that it had been used as a source for cutting implements.

This proved that the area was indeed visited in the past. One possible explanation would be the presence of ground-nesting seabirds, which would have provided an abundant food source for Maori.

Then, in 2012, Pohokura’s first archaeological site was uncovered. It’s a small whare site, believed to be Maori in origin, on the Mokomokoma-Paewai dividing ridge.

Pest control
Pohokura is treated at regular intervals with 1080 poison for the control of possums. Funding received from the Department of Conservation in recent years has contributed to the success of this project.

Whio
Pohokura is home to a growing number of whio. Breeding has been documented at several sites and the population of the property is now deemed ‘nationally significant’.

Whio is a highly endangered rare duck which is threatened by predation, mainly by stoats. The periodic spread of 1080 poison is believed to provide some protection against these pests and, indeed, the growth in whio numbers at Pohokura since aerial 1080 drops started would indicate this to be the case.

Our goal at Pohokura is to provide a safe haven where whio can survive and expand into the surrounding public and private land.

Forest restoration
Pinus contorta is a variety of pine tree which spreads vigorously and grows quickly to suppress native vegetation. The removal of this species has been an on-going task at Pohokura.

Pittosporum turneri, a shrub or small tree, is ranked as ‘Nationally Critical’ by DOC – an indication that it’s at serious risk of national extinction. This is the most threatened ranking of any species yet identified at Pohokura. Our estimate of the total number of plants here exceeds 1,000 - five to 10 percent of the estimated population remaining nationally.

Possums pose a major threat to Pittosporum turneri, browsing and killing the juvenile plant and suppressing the emergence of adult foliage. Since ongoing periodic aerial 1080 poisoning for possums began in 2005 we’ve seen the emergence of increasing quantities of adult foliage and seed. Seed pods are collected and taken to Taupo Native Plant Nursery for propagation, with the intention of returning any resulting plants to Pohokura. Continued possum control and the propagation of seed to establish another population to the south should further safeguard the plant at Pohokura.

Mistletoe (Peraxilla colensoi and Peraxilla tetrapetala) also appears to be benefitting from possum control, with an increase in the number of plants recorded on the property.