Kauri Tree

Here stands the mighty Kauri (cow-ree) tree -- this is the largest remaining tree, named "Tanai Mahuta," 2000 years old, and one of the 4% left standing. These giants (some are 30 meters in diameter and 60 meters tall) were cut to near extinction 80 years ago for their wood. Each tree has enough wood to build 9 houses. Interestingly, the wood is still being harvested from bogs, and is in near perfect condition despite being up to 100,000 years old. The sap was/is also mined from the bogs, and there is, in fact, a large Croatian/Dalmation community in NZ who originally came to mine the Kauri sap/amber out of the bogs. Things in Croatia must have been pretty bleak at the turn of the last century to make bog work appealing. There are many third and fourth generation Croatians in NZ, and most are now well established merchants or farmers.