The Easter weekend seems to mark the unofficial end of summer in NZ. Good Friday and Easter Monday are both official holidays here so it is the last long weekend until we celebrate the Queens birthday in June. We've had something going on most every weekend since mid-February so we decided to split the long weekend between home and adventuring.
On Saturday afternoon, we headed to the Kauri Coast about three hours northwest of Auckland. As the name implies, there are a lot of kauri trees in the forests up there, including some of the biggest in the country. The forests are pretty fragmented, though, and are surrounded on all sides by forestry blocks of Monterey pine and pasture as far as the eye can see.
When we arrived at the holiday park, we got a map and a description of the key tree species around the park. Being the nerds we are, we hoped out of the car and wandered around the park looking for the green and yellow number blocks. Our map mentioned that the man who started the holiday park had botanical interests, so he planted the diversity of mostly native trees and shrubs on the property. I've been working on my tree ID skills since we arrived here, but it is difficult! The bark is similar for a number of trees that isn't the best guide and often the foliage is far above you and hard to see. It was really nice to have the numbers and the names of the trees so I could learn them a bit better.
On Easter morning we drove five minutes up the road to Trounson Kauri Park, a 586-hectare reserve with LOTS of kauri trees. The Department of Conservation has been doing a lot of work in the reserve to try to remove pest predators and to restore the forest. It is considered the best example of a native kauri forest in NZ. The structure of the forest was quite different than the forests around Auckland. Here there are canopy and sub-canopy trees, shrubs, and ferns, which all together form a pretty formidable wall of vegetation. At Trounson, there were the canopy trees--dominated by kauri--and the ferns near the ground, but very little in the middle. It was a beautiful forest and we thoroughly enjoyed our quiet morning walk. It took us 90 minutes to complete the estimated 40 minute loop. We enjoyed it so much that we went back two days later and walked the track in the opposite direction before heading home.
From Trounson we made our way further north to the Waipoua Forest to see the big trees. Enroute we stopped at a roadside souvenir shop that had pieces of swamp kauri gum for sale. The gum is fossilized resin of the tree that has been buried underground for thousands of years. A significant geologic event 30 to 40,000 years ago caused widespread destruction of the kauri forest across its entire range. Scientists hypothesize either a large volcano or tsunami downed thousands of trees across the North Island. Over time, those trees were buried by ash or sediment and were well preserved underground. As the land was developed, people started finding the large trees buried in the ground. Swamp kauri, as it is called, is now the only way to get kauri wood for building because the living trees are completely protected. When the gum is harvested out of the ground, it is coated in an almost crystalized layer of the resin. If you rub the gum it has a very strong turpentine-like smell to it. You can remove the crystalized layer with sandpaper to reveal glowing orbs of golden resin. I'm very excited about our little gum pieces! Pete, meanwhile, was much more interested in the wood part of the swamp kauri. We stopped at a wood shop on our way home where he found a couple of boards that he is going to use for one of his upcoming projects. It is a very soft wood with almost no visible grain, which should be good for his hand tools. The wood is a lovely, warm chestnut color.
The Waipoua forest is the largest track of native forest in Northland and is home to some of the biggest kauri trees in NZ. The largest is called Tāne Mahuta (lord of the forest), estimated to be about 1,500 years old! This tree is massive - it is 45 feet around (it would take about nine of me to circle the tree with arms outstretched) and 168 feet tall. The first branches start 55 feet above the forest floor, which is precisely why this tree was prized by loggers and shipbuilders in the 1800 and 1900s. Like big trees around the world, kauri trees were nearly lost due to over harvesting. Public pressure started mounting in the 1950s to protect the remaining trees throughout the North Island. All kauri trees on crown land have been officially protected since 1987 and many kauri on private land are also now protected. Kauri trees are dwarfed in height by coastal redwoods and giant sequoias, but they are the third largest tree in the world by volume of wood.
After the trees, we headed to the Kai Iwi lakes for a hike. The lakes are outside of the protected forest and adjacent to pine plantation so no kauri trees here. There are three lakes adjacent to each other and only one of them, Lake Kaiiwi is free from boats, so we chose to walk around that one. There was an abundance of mosses and ferns that were quite different than what we saw in the kauri forest. Learning about them after our trip, they are all typically found in highly disturbed areas and at the edges of forests.
On Saturday afternoon, we headed to the Kauri Coast about three hours northwest of Auckland. As the name implies, there are a lot of kauri trees in the forests up there, including some of the biggest in the country. The forests are pretty fragmented, though, and are surrounded on all sides by forestry blocks of Monterey pine and pasture as far as the eye can see.
When we arrived at the holiday park, we got a map and a description of the key tree species around the park. Being the nerds we are, we hoped out of the car and wandered around the park looking for the green and yellow number blocks. Our map mentioned that the man who started the holiday park had botanical interests, so he planted the diversity of mostly native trees and shrubs on the property. I've been working on my tree ID skills since we arrived here, but it is difficult! The bark is similar for a number of trees that isn't the best guide and often the foliage is far above you and hard to see. It was really nice to have the numbers and the names of the trees so I could learn them a bit better.
On Easter morning we drove five minutes up the road to Trounson Kauri Park, a 586-hectare reserve with LOTS of kauri trees. The Department of Conservation has been doing a lot of work in the reserve to try to remove pest predators and to restore the forest. It is considered the best example of a native kauri forest in NZ. The structure of the forest was quite different than the forests around Auckland. Here there are canopy and sub-canopy trees, shrubs, and ferns, which all together form a pretty formidable wall of vegetation. At Trounson, there were the canopy trees--dominated by kauri--and the ferns near the ground, but very little in the middle. It was a beautiful forest and we thoroughly enjoyed our quiet morning walk. It took us 90 minutes to complete the estimated 40 minute loop. We enjoyed it so much that we went back two days later and walked the track in the opposite direction before heading home.
showing the absence of foliage between the ground cover and canopy
Pete looking at the big trees -
our necks were sore after the weekend!
our necks were sore after the weekend!
gum at the base of a kauri tree - a lot of gum is
usually a sign of disease, either gumosis or kauri
dieback, both of which can ultimately kill the tree
usually a sign of disease, either gumosis or kauri
dieback, both of which can ultimately kill the tree
The bark is completely split on this kauri so
the tree will be dead soon. The dead trees can
stand in the forest for decades before falling over.
the tree will be dead soon. The dead trees can
stand in the forest for decades before falling over.
a good example showing the kauri actively shedding
its bark (on the left edge of the tree in the center of
the photo) to reduce the number of plants growing on it
its bark (on the left edge of the tree in the center of
the photo) to reduce the number of plants growing on it
many, many lovely ferns on the forest floor,
including this silver fern fiddlehead
including this silver fern fiddlehead
The manamana, or hen and chickens fern. It is very distinct because
of the "chickens" that emerge on the top of the adult fronds. These
vegetative growths can drop off and form a new clonal individual.
of the "chickens" that emerge on the top of the adult fronds. These
vegetative growths can drop off and form a new clonal individual.
climbing fern
unpolished kauri gum pieces
a hint of the golden color that lies below
The Waipoua forest is the largest track of native forest in Northland and is home to some of the biggest kauri trees in NZ. The largest is called Tāne Mahuta (lord of the forest), estimated to be about 1,500 years old! This tree is massive - it is 45 feet around (it would take about nine of me to circle the tree with arms outstretched) and 168 feet tall. The first branches start 55 feet above the forest floor, which is precisely why this tree was prized by loggers and shipbuilders in the 1800 and 1900s. Like big trees around the world, kauri trees were nearly lost due to over harvesting. Public pressure started mounting in the 1950s to protect the remaining trees throughout the North Island. All kauri trees on crown land have been officially protected since 1987 and many kauri on private land are also now protected. Kauri trees are dwarfed in height by coastal redwoods and giant sequoias, but they are the third largest tree in the world by volume of wood.
Tāne Mahuta, the giant
This long, straight tree makes Pete drool
the four sisters - four kauri trees growing close
together, showing their tall, straight profiles
together, showing their tall, straight profiles
The second largest kauri is Te Matua Ngahere (father of the forest).
He is wider than Tāne Mahuta at 54 feet in diameter but shorter
at only 100 feet tall. He is also estimated to be older by about
500 years. Te Matua Ngahere has a large bee colony residing in
the tree - the dark patch in the center of this photo. We could
even hear them buzzing from about 300 feet away!
He is wider than Tāne Mahuta at 54 feet in diameter but shorter
at only 100 feet tall. He is also estimated to be older by about
500 years. Te Matua Ngahere has a large bee colony residing in
the tree - the dark patch in the center of this photo. We could
even hear them buzzing from about 300 feet away!
After the trees, we headed to the Kai Iwi lakes for a hike. The lakes are outside of the protected forest and adjacent to pine plantation so no kauri trees here. There are three lakes adjacent to each other and only one of them, Lake Kaiiwi is free from boats, so we chose to walk around that one. There was an abundance of mosses and ferns that were quite different than what we saw in the kauri forest. Learning about them after our trip, they are all typically found in highly disturbed areas and at the edges of forests.
Lake Kaiiwi
club moss
a top-down look at the club moss - I loved its helix structure
Umbrella fern - this would probably be a pretty good umbrella. All
of the fronds are woven together, creating a very dense mat of foliage.
of the fronds are woven together, creating a very dense mat of foliage.
creeping club moss
I love our adventures and exploring new places. Hopefully the weather will cooperate this autumn and into the winter so we can continue exploring! (It is very much NOT cooperating this weekend.)
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