This moss-laden tree stands on the East Whakanui Track near the top of a ridge, where moisture-laden winds sweep across the exposed crest from both sides. These damp, windblown conditions help create a small area of goblin-like forest, with stunted, twisted trees, moss-covered trunks, and epiphytes clinging to the branches. The result is a cooler, wetter environment than the surrounding lower slopes, giving this part of the ridge a distinctive and almost otherworldly character.
