This weekend we headed north camping and stopped off at the Kauri Museum in Matakohe. The kauri tree is native to NZ and grows to a massive size. This photo shows an average sized 900 year old tree.
The museum shows how kauri trees used to be felled and processed and how techniques have changed over the years. This photo shows pieces of wood taken from one tree. In the background you can see rings on the wall showing the girth of the biggest kauri trees recorded. Tane Mahuta is the centre ring and is the oldest living tree.
Gum from the trees is the colour of amber and is very sought after for carvings and ornaments. The museum has a room with the largest collection of kauri gum in the world. Some of the pieces of gum have insects trapped inside them.
