Majestic Kauris

The Old Sloat has an announcement. Are you sitting down?? I am finally tired...at least a little tired...of traveling!! I did the math and, having been retired exactly 15 months as of today...December 15...I have spent 275 nights away from home and 180 at home in Monterey, meaning I have been on the road 61 percent of the time! I have enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to many future trips, but for the next several months I reckon I won't be venturing too far afield. I'll visit friends and probably take a few short jaunts, but I reckon I'll spend at least 61 percent of the time at home thru at least February. I'll probably start wandering again next spring.

The largest native trees in New Zealand are the Kauris. These majestic trees are similar to the Sequoia in California in being more massive than tall. This is Tane Mahuta, the Lord of the Forest. It's the tallest Kauri in NZ, at 51 metres (about 160 feet) high. The trunk is over 40 feet in circumference. The tree is at least 1200 years old. Kauris live to at least 2000 if conditions are favorable. Unfortunately for them, their wood is beautiful; hard, strong, and finely grained. Thus, 97 percent of the old growth Kauris in NZ have been logged, mostly between 1840 and 1940. They're protected now and young Kauri are regenerating in some areas, but they're slow growing. Tane Mahuta is in the Waipoua forest, NW of Auckland. This area has the largest concentration of old growth Kauri remaining in NZ. Kauri grow on the northern part of the North Island, from a little south of Auckland N.

Kauri bark is unlike North American big trees. It's hard and not furrowed like fir, pine, or redwood. Up close, it's a little surrealistic.

This is Te Matua Ngahere, Father of the Forest. This massive Kauri is not very tall, only about 100 feet at present. This is because the upper part of the tree has been snapped off, either by wind, lightning, or simple old age; the tree is about 2000 years old. It's over 50 feet in circumference. It's undoubtedly near the end of its life. Kauri can die of old age; the trunk becomes hollow, and the tree eventually rots away. Farther off the road than Tane Mahuta, Te Matua Ngahere is in a quiet setting that feels primeval. When I was there, late in the afternoon, there were no other sounds than the birds chirping. Very nice.