Kaiparas Economy to be Boosted

Kaipara's economy could be boosted by 500,000 more tourists a year thanks to an innovative partnership between two giants of the forest, the ancient Kauri Tane Mahuta in Waipoua Forest and the huge Cedar, Jomon Sugi, in Yakushima, Japan. Representatives from Kaipara District Council, Te Roroa, Copthorne Hotel, Omapere and The Matakohe Kauri Museum have just returned from the island of Yakushima, excited about the future of the partnership and ready to see Kaipara reap the benefits.

"Tane Mahuta is currently being advertised at Jomon Sugi, exposing it to a massive 500,000 visitors per year, and the trip has pushed forward the relationship even more," says Kaipara's Mayor Neil Tiller. The two trees are to feature in a giant rugby ball at the upcoming Bledisloe Cup match in Tokyo, the same ball which has been travelling the world promoting the 2011 World Cup, giving the partnership exposure on a massive scale. Prime Minister John Key is aware of the project, and Tourism New Zealand is also involved in making it a success.

"The relationship is about encouraging economic development, but there are all sorts of benefits educational, cultural and environmental," says Mayor Tiller. "The preservation of the Kauri and Cedar is key to the future of both areas, and the back-to-nature experiences cannot be replicated any where else in the world."

Mayor Tiller and the Kauri Museum's Betty Nelley were filmed for Japanese television, a great promotional opportunity for Kaipara, and the group attended Yakushima's 'forest festival', where locals got a taste of Maori culture thanks to Te Rora’s Alex Nathan and Wayne Bisset who introduced the crowd to mihi and waiata. "It was great to be there in person and meet people who are so focused on building the relationship between our two areas," says Mayor Tiller. The Mayor of Yakushima spent time with the group, and will be at next year's Waipoua Forest Fun Walk along with another 120 visitors from the area, friends of the Mayor and a group organised by a tour operator.

The 'Family of Ancient Trees' initiative which has joined Tane Mahuta and Jomon Sugi is sure to raise the profile of Kaipara and Yakushima, and may be extended to include other famous trees such as a Giant Redwood in the United States of America, and ancient trees in Europe, promoting them on a global scale and targeting the ever increasing eco-tourism market.

"Shane Lloyd, Betty Nelley, and Alex Nathan have all put in a lot of effort to get this project off the ground, and the possibilities are just huge now," says Mayor Tiller. "The $8,500 Council put towards the trip is the best spend of economic development money we've ever had. We have an environmentally sustainable alliance of which will we can be proud. It’s now up to us to capture the tourists and show them what we’ve got."