Every week unfolds with its own moments of greatness, shining through the fabric of everyday life.

By 2020, the Tree of Wanaka had lived for at least 83 years! In the early 1900s, this tree was just a small branch cut from a large willow tree and stuck in the ground to be used as a fence.

The Tree of Wanaka is, to be precise, a split willow. Local lake arboriculture officials say it is named after the fragile wood, which is relatively weak in its own right.

A tree's growing conditions are relatively harsh from the start. Because the roots are often inundated with cold water, a tree grows very slowly, and damaged areas are difficult to regenerate.

This is why people are frustrated. A branch can grow into a tree in a harsh environment, with more than 80 years of sun and rain, and having experienced the New Zealand spring 2019 floods. But in 2020, it was surprisingly cut down without any reason, without affecting human activities.

Artificially broken branches were found before December 2017. After the water level dropped, someone climbed up and caused the branches to break.

To prevent further deterioration, Tourism New Zealand will install warning signs written in English around the Wanaka tree. Climbing by tourists is almost nonexistent, but this kind of late-night damage, fencing, and no sign can't help. Do we really need to install cameras? Maybe the next time you visit New Zealand, cameras will become a reality.

As photography of the tree is widely spread, it has to be mentioned to a local Wanaka photography figure. Heather Macleod, president of the Wanaka Camera Club, photographed the tree and shared it within the club.

While some club members thought the tree was "just a joke," others posted it on their websites and social media.

Another figure, photographer Dennis Radermacher, won the 2014 New Zealand Geographic Photo of the Year by taking a photo of a tree with fog in it.

They both contributed to the tree becoming an internet sensation in the photographer's mind. This was also reported by CNN, including local government agencies in Wanaka, and most people were outraged, and many said it would affect tourism in the Wanaka area and was a pointless act of vandalism.

There is a small group of people both at home and abroad, including many tourists and photographers, who think the tree is ordinary and has high visibility, but the visual experience is average. There are even very few photographers who are not interested in the tree at all.

The loss of the Tree of Wanaka also highlighted the importance of preserving natural landmarks and the need for greater protection measures to safeguard them from harm.

It also sparked discussions about responsible tourism and the impact of tourism on fragile ecosystems. Hopefully, the tragic loss of the Tree of Wanaka will serve as a lesson and inspire people to take action to protect and preserve the natural wonders of our world.