The New Zealand kauri tree is famous for its size and for the length of time one tree can survive. When Maori first arrived in New Zealand more than 1000 years ago, they found kauri trees. They are among the earth’s tallest trees, growing to a height of 50m. The tallest kauri tree today, Tane Mahuta, God of the Forest, is 1500 years old, 51.5m high and 13.77m around the widest part of the trunk. It is in the Waipoua Forest in Northland.
Because kauri are such tall, straight trees, they were used by Maori for building canoes and houses. When Europeans arrived in New Zealand in the early 18th century, they used kauri trees for ship masts and for timber for building houses. It is a beautiful, pale-coloured timber and makes fine furniture. European farmers also cut down trees to make farmland.
Today, however, kauri trees are protected and treasured. That is why people are so worried about kauri dieback. The tops of the trees are dying and that means the whole tree will die too. It is infected by a fungus disease and there seems to be no cure for this disease. It can be spread through the soil so people walking in kauri forests are asked to clean their boots and to avoid walking around the roots of trees. There are brushes at the entrance to forests for people to brush the soil off their boots. Some of the larger trees have a board walk around them so people can walk around the tree on a raised platform without damaging the tree roots.
Some Maori want to keep people out of these forests to give the trees a chance to recover. If cleaning boots does not work, maybe that will be the next step.
A kauri tree. This photo shows a raised wooden platform around the tree.