Some background for those who don't know the story: kauri is probably the best structural lumber in the world, but the huge trees are so slow-growing that farming it has been impossible. Now that the remaining kauri is ultra-protected, the lumber in Ponsonby would have been originally harvested in the 19th century, when the whole city of San Francisco was built out of it.
> Some background for those who don’t know the story: kauri is probably the best structural lumber in the world
Very true! Thanks for that!
Another marvelous thing about Kauri is that it is nearly impervious to water and bugs and it never rots.
Here in New Zealand, from time-to-time, they dig up fallen kauri trees out of the swamps. They have carbon-dated these trees and they are very old: 10,000 years and more is not uncommon. Once it has been dried, this “swamp kauri” is just like new. They make tourist items and furniture out of it. It is a beautiful wood.
Kauri also produces a “gum”, very much like amber. In West Auckland (where I live) during the early part of the 20th Century there was quite an industry digging up kauri gum for export. It is of a very hi quality, and was used for making the finest shellac and violin rosin. The nicest pieces were (and still are) made into jewelry.