KAURI TREE !

Jess by the Kauri tree

Kauri are among the world's mightiest trees, growing to more than 50 metres tall, with trunk girths of up to 16 metres. They covered much of the top half of the North Island when the first people arrived around 1000 years ago.


It's a BIG tree!

We decided to visit the Warkworth Museum, and then, on arrival, discovered that its claim to fame was that it had "the largest collection of old clothes in New Zealand" (it meant Victorian costume - it's the way you say it though, isn't it!)
So, instead we went on the Kauri Walk..


McKinney Kauri

The one pictured here, the McKinney tree cost 3000 GBP, along with the land. Probably would have been chopped down if it hadn't been.

The trunk has no branches off it until it reaches a certain height, and the bark is a silver grey, then it branches out above everything in the forest. It produces dammar gum - if you burn incense then that's got this tree's gum in it..


Girls at Totara Lookout

I know this tree is impressive, but we've visited the largest living kauri, farther up North, called Tāne Mahuta, and it's GIANT! The tree's Māori name means "Lord of the Forest", and is the name of a god in Māori legend. It was only found in 1920, by a logging team.


Tane Mahuta, the largest Kauri Tree

Tāne Mahuta is 51 metres (169 feet) in height, and has a circumference of 13.8 metres (45 feet).
There is no proof of the tree's age, but it is estimated to be between 1250 and 2500 years old. Compare that to this little youngster!


Both girls under the tree - can you see them?



In the old days totara was heavily logged