Children proud to share ‘Big Softy’

Pupils of a small South Otago school want to show Southern Rural Life readers their beloved tree "Big Softy".

Waitahuna School teacher Clare Blackmore said the 16 pupils at the school had been following the series searching for the widest tree in the South.

The pupils wanted to introduce readers to a tree in the school they call Big Softy.

Children were allowed to climb trees at the school, including Big Softy and the three 125-year-old oaks nearby.

"At the leavers’ farewell speeches at the end of the year concert, the trees are always mentioned as one of the children’s best memories. Climbing, creating, hut-building, you name it, the trees are at the centre of our children’s play."

To measure the girth of Big Softy, eight pupils formed a circle by holding hands and hugging the tree.

Big Softy had an unofficial girth of just more than 9m.

The leader in the series is a Sequoia giganteum tree in Queenstown, which has a circumference of 15.3m, when measured at a height of 1.4m.

"So we are not winners, but actually to have such fantastic old trees in our school yard that the children can climb, they are definitely richer for it."

 - Giant tree photos can be emailed to shawn.mcavinue@alliedpress.co.nz