Court ever since it was set up and that verbal history ill transribed in those The controversy deepens when we talk about the "Stone City” the Waipous Forest This isa total mystery. That there are stone walls, fireplaces, altars and other constructions made from stone scattered over a wide area ofthe Waipoua Forest appears tobe accepted. James Maxwell, who was the custodian ofthe Forest from 1900 to 1920 wrote in his journal thatthe stone constructions were “widespread and of iernational significance” But they have hardly rated with other iconic New Zealand landmarks, man- made or natural. In fact, they appear to ‘be something of a "secret Joan Leaf, a Hokianga sch 10 martied a highly respected local “Maori was so fascinated by the rile ofthe stone remains that she h ‘written a book, "Havaiki to Hokianga 2000 that suggests that there was a full-sized city in there that had more to do with Egypt than Maori ‘There are also other books that claim the stone city was built by Celts who came to New Zealand Like anything controversial the aipuoa Stone City has attracted extremists who just stop short at suggesting the city was built by green men from Mars, oF Jupiter Noel Hilliam makes no radical claims He has scen the remains but he sys he has no idea who built the walls, houses and altars, or where they came ftom. In the 1980s, Lands and Survey and the New Zealand Forest Service (forerunners to the DoC) called in a team of archaco survey of the ruins. The put together bage report that was, apparently, so controversial, the documents w laced into the care of the National Archives and a 75 year embargo was placed on them, This was an expensive and extensive survey carried out by two highly cgarded archaeologists and now it’s locked avy. Again, the nature of the report and the embargo have been topics of wild speculation by people conspiracy theories. And the low-key, right-wing organisation “One New Zealand s mentioned in some of the In fact it turns out the embargo lifted in 1996 after a legal challen and the report is available For anyone to read atthe National Archives on Mount Wellington Highway in Auckland, The report is non-conclusive and simply notes the postion of the stones and makes no attempt to interpre what they are or who built them. "The Waipous Forest stone remains aren’ the only ones in New Zealand, “There are also some near Mangan Bluff, some on the Coromandel” mer inthe region, and T won't tell you his name or where his property is, has found human remains ina cave. There ate bones anda skull The skulls small and we're not sure if ’san adult or a female, We have phed everything, but remov "We want to gt the skull carbon: