Feel young again by visiting the 2,000-year-old Father of Waipoua

If you were to split open New Zealand's Te Matua Ngahere, the "Father of the Forest," and attempt to count all of its rings, you'd want to curl up and sleep under the enormous tree because of how long it would take. The trunk is more than 16 feet (5 m) in diameter, making it the kauri tree with the widest girth in the nation. When you visit New Zealand during your locum tenens assignment, you can't miss gazing up at this natural wonder in the heart of an Aotearoa tropical rainforest.

At more than 2,000 years old, the awe-inspiring tree is the oldest of the two largest-living kauri species in New Zealand. You can find the Waipoua Forest in Northland and check out its abundant native bush and woodlands that are now under the protection of the Department of Conservation after years of farmland clearing and forest fires.

A short, 20-minute walk from the entrance takes you straight to the Father tree. You'll find a viewing platform that keeps visitors from damaging its root systems, which are mainly underground but some can be seen poking out of the earth.