Westland's rainfall and rich forest soil grows big trees. And on the West Coast they remain, while elsewhere in the country such trees have long been felled, Mr Barker said.
"This is one of the few places we have large trees left which are looked after. We have fantastic bush and we do appreciate it."
He plots and records his finds on the New Zealand Tree Register, a NZ Tree Trust project documenting some of the country's finest arboreal specimens.
The Hokitika-based enthusiast has been plotting giant examples on and off for the past 40 years: "It's a hobby, something I am interested in."
His first recent find this summer was a clutch of very large matai near Lake Kaniere a couple of weeks ago.
"We have a real bounty on our doorstep."
It is larger than the famous Lake Ianthe giant matai, which was 2.3m across before it was felled due to safety concerns.
"This is around 2.8m, slightly taller and very, very old."
A more recent trip to an area near Lake Brunner revealed "absolutely enormous trees".
"There are old records of a matai so big you could not get an 8m tape around it. We found it, but it had fallen in the last 40 years.
"But it was a pleasure to see such stunning bush, and we found kahikatea bigger than anything found in New Zealand."
While kahikatea grew to about 600 years of age Mr Barker estimated the Lake Brunner specimen was about 700 to 1000 years old.
"The buttress is 6m across at the base and its about 49m tall. The reason it's been able to last is its immense buttress."
Last week he found another example in the Lake Brunner area which was 8.8m around the truck.
"I hope to go back in another month. There are a lot of mythical giants I am hoping to find."
He said New Zealand was blessed to have such magnificent ancient giants.
"It's a real opportunity for the Department of Conservation to highlight these trees and get people out in the bush.
"We have lost so much in this country and they are the one thing which remains."
- By Helen Murdoch of the Hokitika Guardian
