Chopped Down Tall Thunder.

By Tim Bull

The letters came in. It was 1994 and the bickering started. It was the first attack on the thundering tree. It was a Maori man who struck the tree and it was dealt to in a hefty jail sentence.

Six years later it was hit again. This time hit impenetrably and again more controversially. This was an occasion for the government to chop it down, because it was dying. The men came out with there chainsaws and chopped its final root.

This tall tree has been sent to the Orakei Marae, were it will be carved and sent to another Marae. Were it will spend the rest of its life.

Now One Tree Hill is a No Tree Hill and will remain that way for a while.