Ancient Kauri
Encyclopedia
Ancient Kauri or Swamp Kauri refers to prehistoric Kauri forests, buried and preserved in peat
up to 50,000 years ago in New Zealand
's North Island
.
Buried under a peat swamp by an unexplained act of nature at the end of the last Ice Age, the trees have survived the centuries underground, sealed in a chemically balanced environment that has preserved the timber in perfect condition.
The trees grew for nearly 2000 years before they were buried. Some have a girth of around 40 feet, and a total height of nearly 200 feet.
Only the lower trunk section and ball root structure is predominantly found. The trunk tends to taper to a "V" shape as the portion of the log lying above ground has decayed to ground level. Some logs are on a 20 degree angle into the ground suggesting they have fallen over with force, probably under a larger tree that has fallen on to it. For this reason complete round logs lying deeper in the ground are occasionally found.
Extraction of the logs is time consuming, expensive and technically difficult requiring skilled operators of heavy machinery. Working in wet conditions each log must be carefully brought to the surface. After the log has been removed, the area is then restored to its original contours.
The extracted kauri has become an alternative source for old-growth wood supply and often finds its way to furniture builders, boat makers, and wood artisans.
A trademark of the Ancient Kauri: white bait. White bait refers to the deep, shimmering streaks of iridescence found in some of the wilder grain patterns. This particular grain is named after schools of New Zealand whitebait
fish that emit a similar pattern when swimming in one direction.
Bog-wood
Bog-wood, also known as morta is wood from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water...
up to 50,000 years ago in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
.
Buried under a peat swamp by an unexplained act of nature at the end of the last Ice Age, the trees have survived the centuries underground, sealed in a chemically balanced environment that has preserved the timber in perfect condition.
The trees grew for nearly 2000 years before they were buried. Some have a girth of around 40 feet, and a total height of nearly 200 feet.
Only the lower trunk section and ball root structure is predominantly found. The trunk tends to taper to a "V" shape as the portion of the log lying above ground has decayed to ground level. Some logs are on a 20 degree angle into the ground suggesting they have fallen over with force, probably under a larger tree that has fallen on to it. For this reason complete round logs lying deeper in the ground are occasionally found.
Extraction of the logs is time consuming, expensive and technically difficult requiring skilled operators of heavy machinery. Working in wet conditions each log must be carefully brought to the surface. After the log has been removed, the area is then restored to its original contours.
The extracted kauri has become an alternative source for old-growth wood supply and often finds its way to furniture builders, boat makers, and wood artisans.
A trademark of the Ancient Kauri: white bait. White bait refers to the deep, shimmering streaks of iridescence found in some of the wilder grain patterns. This particular grain is named after schools of New Zealand whitebait
Whitebait
Whitebait is a collective term for the immature fry of fish, typically between 25 and 50 millimetres long. Such young fish often travel together in schools along the coast, and move into estuaries and sometimes up rivers where they can be easily caught with fine meshed fishing nets...
fish that emit a similar pattern when swimming in one direction.