Fort Theories
Fun: People build the forts just for fun. Perhaps they are built by kids just playing in woods. However, I have found forts in locations that don’t seem like places where kids would play, so this is unlikely to explain all the forts.
Shelter: People build the forts as shelter when they get caught in bad weather. This seems plausible as the weather in New Zealand can change quickly. Many of the forts seem too small to sleep in, but may be big enough to sit in while you wait out a passing shower.
Practice: Maybe there are a lot of survivalists in New Zealand and they like to practice building survival shelters? But many of the forts seem too small to use as a survival shelter.
Ritual: Maybe there is a secret underground occult organization in New Zealand that builds the forts for ritualistic purposes or as talisman objects. Maybe the entire world is controlled by the these New Zealand occultists and their mysterious forts.
Its the Kiwi’s: Maybe Aotearoa’s iconic flightless bird, the Kiwi, is making the forts. Sure they can’t fly, but that is even more reason for them to want a warm dry place to gather and call home. Maybe they are a lot more capable than people think and when nobody’s looking they construct woodland forts for community meetings, ceremonies or luxury estates.
If anyone has other theories or actually knows why these forts are built. Please send an email to whattheforts@gmail.com and let me know.