New Zealand Walking to Kauri Trees
the Forest Giants

The tree's impressive attributes were once reason to establish the timber milling industry in West Auckland. Trading the kauri wood internationally returned a major boost in regional economic development.

Today personalized and guided walking tours give tourist an overview of the Waitakere Ranges, their past, and present.

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Kauri Tree

Belonging to the ancient conifer family of Araucariacea the tree is remarkable in size, age, and the way this specie discloses competition. Interestingly the type kauri forest is established with the presence of just one of its specie.

Slow growing, withstanding poorly drained and acidic clay soils, as well as weather exposed localities they are even less demanding than other conifers. The nutritional condition of surrounding soil is intensified with their presence. Their leaves are kept for up to 15 years which increases the woody content in decomposing material around the tree above average through bark flakes and gum. The result is that only certain plants are able to grow around these trees in this nitrogen poor, acidic soil.

A number of these impressive trees are standing in the Waitakere Ranges. New Zealand walking shows some of the easier accessible ones along Scenic Drive.

• First address is the nature trail at the Arataki Visitor Centre
• Fairy Falls Track
• Cascade Kauri Park

One of the tallest one standing is Tane Mahuta" – Lord of the Forest with 51.2 metres hight. The oldest one standing with and age estimated over 2,000 years and a stem diameter from 5,22 metre is called Matua Ngahere – Father of the Forest. Both are found in the Waipoua Forest, on State Highway 12 about 65 km north from Dargaville.

Pre-organized walking tours, adjustable to personal needs take travellers to an eight day long Northland discovery tour with interesting walks and activities.

Accountable for the massive timber logging after 1830 were European settlers who created an overseas trade market for this exceptional straight and durable wood that reduced the original kauri forest to an estimated 4% in less than 100 years sawing activity.

Apart from that Gum digger was a widely spread profession in Northland. Large amount of gum streamed out of wounds initiated by scratches to the thin bark and broken branches. Its value for varnish made it a sought after export ware for Europe and America. Reason enough for Maoris and Europeans to flood felled fields to recover the buried gum of centuries.

Today’s products of kauri wood are often made of recycled kauri wood and retrieved fallen trees that are concealed in swamps.

Here are some examples of New Zealand wood carvers with traditional and contemporary work.

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