Author(s): Joanna Orwin

Trees | Aotearoa

One of the largest trees in the world, the kauri is a natural wonder and a New Zealand icon. Its immense trunk has supplied timber for every conceivable use from Maori war canoes to modern European homes. Along the way, the industries that sprang up around it shaped national culture in ways that still echo today. Today the last remaining stands of kauri forest are preserved carefully, a must-see for locals and visitors alike. From commodity for exploitation to object of awe, the kauri and its story lie at the heart of New Zealand's own story, which is vividly brought to life in Joanna Orsin's book. 'Kauri: Witness to a Nation's History' takes us back to the tree's ancient originals. We read about Maori myth surrounding the tree, and about the white-skinned mariners who sailed up to harvest timber for their own 'giant birds': the great naval ships of Europe. The tree's presence looms over the colonial period and beyond, and is the very stuff from which the flagpoles at Waitangi were carved (as well as some of the country's fines architectual treasures and modern works of art).The book charts the growth of the conservation movement, and presents the modern-day issues that affect the tree, such as Maori guardianship and tourism versus protection.

New Zealand's conifer, the kauri, once dominated the northern landscape. This remarkable tree which grows up to 50m with trunk diameters of over 5m can live for over 1000 years, so it has played a part in the lives of all inhabitants, celebrated in Maori Myth and integral to early colonial history. Over the centuries, kauri's high-quality timber has yielded war canoes, ships' spars, furniture and houses. Today though, the kauri forests are a shadow of their former selves facing a new threat with kauri dieback and providing challenges for conservationists, botanists and scientists working to protect this unique trees' future.