Swamp Kauri

Kauri trees are fantastic. The largest rain forest tree in the world, they truly are the giants of the forest.

The story of the Swamp Kauri is so strange, it’s almost Science Fiction. Huge swathes of magnificent Kauri forest were flattened in incredibly ancient times. One of the more compelling theories as to what could have caused this is the result of a Tsunami. Whatever it was, the entire forest, all the species, everything, was destroyed and buried in the resultant swamps. Fast forward 40,000 years, and only the Kauri logs survived.
These buried forests first came to the notice of early settlers who discovered that valuable amber, or Kauri Gum could be harvested from the root and branch areas of the logs. Actually lifting the 100 ton logs was impossible for them and the preserved wood very weak and brittle, so the Kauris stayed in the swamp.
In modern times, the logs were extracted, the wonder of the survival story revealed and the incredible beauty the wood discovered.

Up to 7 years of careful drying is required before the timber is able to be used. It’s not the easiest timber in the world to use, in fact it’s one of the most difficult I’ve come across. Well worth the effort though, the rewards are many !!