After Maitai Bay we drove over to the Tasman coast again, the Kauri Coast properly called, for the forests of Big Trees that, before 19th and 20th century logging, once covered the north end of the North Island. About 2% remain in carefully protected private and national reserves. The Kauri--Maori for
Agathis Australis--is a huge tree, very ancient, rivaling California's Sequoias in girth and total displacement if not in height. The remaining big ones, which we'll see in a couple subsequent posts, are indeed awesomely impressive. But first, Vicki wanted to see The Giant Stump. Typically, Kauris were taken down stump and all (the root is useful too), so this remaining stump is both very large and very rare.
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En route, interesting trees that reminded us of
Africa |
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| 12k of gravel road to the stump, but it really wan't that bad |
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Even in a place as remote as this, you must
disinfect your boots before walking in a Kauri
forest |
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And there it is, mostly covered by ferns and other growth
(never mind the framed step up) |
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| 20m down the path is the tree's crown |
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Vicki standing on one side of the stump, I on the other; something
like 8m across |
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| Stump bit |
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| The ferns really like it |
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| Trust me, it's there |
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| On the drive out, beehives (cages? frames? whatever) |
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"Cameras in operation" "GPS Tracking Devices Installed";
honey is big business in NZ; check out the prices of manuta
honey...as expensive as the finest wine; "Warning: Bees" would
have sufficed for me |
