New giant kauri log on display

Friday 16 Dec 2011

 
A new giant kauri log display is now open to the public at Gumdiggers Park in Awanui, in the Far North of New Zealand. The kauri log was found earlier this year while excavating three smaller kauri logs buried beneath a sandstone layer at the park. The ancient tree has a girth of 9 metres and is 12 metres long. The kauri log is estimated to be around 100,000 years old and was on the same level as other buried preserved trees which were once part of a vast kauri forest on the Aupouri Peninsula.

Ongoing study at the park has revealed that two cataclysmic events occurred on the peninsula 100,000 years ago. The park continues to attract scientists from New Zealand and around the world as part of studies on climate change.

Gumdiggers Park site was purchased by the Heath family in the late 1890’s with the plan to farm. The family changed their mind when they realised there was money to be made from the flourishing kauri gum industry. The family dug for the gum themselves as well as opening the land up to other diggers. The area was worked until 1937 and then left mostly untouched until the land was inherited in the early nineties. After research by scientists the family decided to develop the unique landscape and with the help of Kaitaia and Auckland archives and the local descendants of the gum diggers pieced together the history of the area also known as the Kaikino Swamp gumfield.

In some of the excavations there was timber buried one or two metres beneath the ground, under an ancient sandstone layer which proved to be a unique situation. A team of Auckland University scientists examined the find and were amazed at the age of the kauri. Scientists have been studying the site ever since. More >>


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