This fairly short track, originally known as Te Tahuna is very old. In the first quarter of the seventeenth century, chieftainess Hinehopu used it to travel between her lands at each lake. Less peacefully, in 1823 the warrior Hongi used it as portage for war canoes, enabling him to launch a surprise attack on Mokoia, the island off Rotorua. (He won, and the iwi of Mokoia were enslaved, an important step in the christianising of the Maori of the area.)
Along the track (actually on the main road, though the track itself runs through the bush) is this large matai tree. The story goes that Hinehopu was hidden under this tree by her mother when she was small, and so successfully evaded her enemies. This makes the tree about 400 years old. Later, she met Pikiao II under the tree; she married him and their union gave rise to Ngati Pikiao tribe, who agreed that the tree is sacred.
The tree is said to influence the weather in favour of the traveller who performs a specific ceremony there. We don't know the form, but said the words in hope, given the poor weather we've seen. Actually, until the time of writing (Saturday, five days later) it has worked quite well, giving us a brief respite from the rain. Now it's back with a vengeance: obviously our travels have gone on long enough for the tree's protection to wear thin.