Kauri trees
Ancestors of the kauri first appeared in the Jurrasic some 190-135 million years ago. Two hundred years ago, much of the warmer Northland was still covered by Kauri forest. Today just 1-3% of these trees survived the first Europeans, logging for sailing ships and sawmilling.
Young kauris carry short branches up their trunks. They have to compete for sunlight with other plants. At the age of about 120 they are large enough to dominate all other trees and have already shedded the lower branches to show the giant trunk.
Permanet shedding of branches and bark platelets keeps the tree free of other plants and provides permanent nutrients.
Before humans arrived some of the trees burnt after a lightning, toppled by storms or just collapsed after a long life.
Maoris were the first humans to use the timber of kauris to build large wakas - carved and decorated canoes. They used the gum in torches and soot of the gum for their tattoos.
The largest of the kauris were said to be the legs of Tane, Guardian of the forest, at the time of creation. Tane kept apart the sky father and earth mother to bring light and life to our world. Only Maori priest were allowed to approach these giants among the kauri trees.
The Europeans logged most of the trees during a period of 100 years for the timber and land clearance. They brought the timber to the waterways by horsepower, building dams or railways.
The huge trunk produced high quality timber to build ships and buildings. One tree provides enough material to built three to four buildings.
Kauri trees exude gum in large quantities to seal off wounds. Settlers soon discovered that the gum was perfect to manufacture varnish. At the peak of the kauri gum industry there were about 20.000 gum-diggers armed with a spear, a spade, an axe and bucket dug for the amber-coloured witness of kauri trees.
In the 1930s, synthetic took over the manufacture of varnish but the gum was still used for making linoleum and false tees.
Kauri related attractions
Travelling around Northland you'll find many Kauri related things to do. Here is just a small list with points of interest.
Kauri Museum
Church Rd, Matakohe
If you are visiting the Kauri Coast, that's the place to go first. The museum covers everything associated with Kauri including early New Zealand social history. It's a huge and permanently expanding exhibition.
Gumdiggers Park
buried kauri forest, replicated gumdiggers huts and other relicts.
historic Kauri buildings of Northland
Many of the old heritage buildings around Northland are made from Kauri. Two of the oldest still standing are open for visitors.
Kerikeri Mission Station
246 Kerikeri Rd, Kerikeri
Te Waimate Mission Station
344 Te Ahu Ahu Rd, Waimate North
Ancient Kauri Kingdom Ltd
229 SH1, Awanui
Watch the manufacturing process of wooden kauri products from milling the buried 45000 year old wood to the final piece of art.
