The Remarkable Story of The Greatest Tree in New Zealand

The Remarkable Stor y of

THE GREATEST TREE IN NEW ZEAL AND

Taonga Pounamu

The kauri tree, Agathis australis, is New Zealand’s largest and most famous native tree. Located midway between Auckland and the Bay of Islands in the warm north of the country, The Kauri Museum tells some of the stories of this amazing tree.

Far more than a museum of timber, the Museum has stories of the Māori of the north eastern Kaipara, of European pioneers, of foresters and sawmillers, gum diggers and farmers, and of business people, fishers and the families who have made this area their home.

Visitors rave about the museum’s collections, along with the friendly staff, gift shop and onsite café.

Exquisite Kauri Gum

5,000 pieces of golden, honey-coloured, kauri gum glow in the jewel in the Museum’s crown: the best and biggest collection of gum in the world. Currently being redisplayed in a much larger area than previously, the gum shines with the light of the thousands of years it has taken to form. The gum is created when resin (sap) from the trees leaks out through cracks in the bark. Lumps can form over many hundreds of years of a kauri tree’s life, and once hardened and eventually fossilizing, become the gum we see today.

The pieces on display come from a number of collections gathered by local residents. They have been cleaned and polished, and in some cases carved and turned into a range of sculptures and jewellery. While at the Museum you may be able to see gum polishing um polishing in action (phone firs first or t or check on arrival to s o see if ee if the polisher is in) and and eveneven polish your own piec piece to e to take home. Finished gum hed gum and jewellery piec eces es are also available to purchase at the he Museum Shop.

The Museum also lso cares for a diverse e collection of Māori ori taonga (treasures) s) from the Kaipara and Northland. Pounamu, bone and stone, feather, er, fibre and wood – the pieces havehe pieces have been been sawmill, which moves at slow speed so gifted into the Museum’s care to preserve visitors can get up close to see how the and share with visitors. Discover kākahu mill works. At its centre is a Davey Paxman (traditional Māori woven cloaks), kete Portable Steam Engine, built in England in (woven baskets), tauihu (waka prow), hei the early 1900s, and one of the last ever tiki and much more. made. The engine drives a range of saws

A fascinating recreation of a quality for ‘breaking down’ giant kauri logs and 1880-1920 six room home is at the converting them into planks. entrance to the Museum. Fully furnished with original decor and lifelike models dressed in period costume, the house is wall to wall with authentic furniture, fittings Explore www.kaurimuseum.com for a taste of The Kauri Museum, and then make sure to visit. and ornaments, and is typical of how kauri It's remarkable! timber was used for building homes and for making beautiful furniture. The Kauri Museum is at Matakohe,

Elsewhere around the Museum is one of just a 50 minute drive from the most extensive collections of kauri and Whangarei. antique furniture in New Zealand. From Open 9am-5pm every day, elaborately carved dining furniture and children under 12 are display pieces, through to the simplest free during the holidays. home made items, nearly all of the collection is on display.

Fans of big machinery don’t miss out either. The Museum includes a full sized