AMONG THE KAURIS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 83, 10 April 1922, Page 5

AMONG THE KAURIS.

HIGH TIME ON THE RANGES. A GIFT FOR THE CITIZEXS. ROTARY CLUB EXPERIEXCE. A fitting climax to an enjoyable Rotary Club picnic at Goldie's Bush in the Waitakere Ranges on Saturday was the announcement by the host of the occasion. Mr. Harry Goldie. that he intended, in honour of the visit by the Club, to preserve for all time the beautiful clump of kauri trees on his property under which the picnickers had had luncheon, and to make them available for visit and inspection by citizens of Auckland. The clump comprises seven magnificent green trees with parallel barrels 70ft or SOft high, girthing 16ft to 19ft. and containing fully 80,000 ft of millablc timber. From the public point of view, apart from the fact that the timber is worth CoOO, the gift is an exceedingly valuable one. for in a few years the kauri tree will be a thing of the past except in remote districts and in favoured sanctuaries, and this clump is situated within five miles of the Waitakere railway station by easy road in line weather. The picnic party of fifty Rotarians motored out to Goldie's Bush, the cars being driven under the shelter of the kauri clump mentioned, and after luncheon were treated to a most interesting and enjoyable demonstration of modern sawmiling operations in a kauri forest. They witnessed the felling of a splendid tree over 100 ft in height, the cutting of a log of six tons from the fallen monarch and the scientific handling by a bushhauler and trained bushmen of the great baulk, which was taken with ease from the bush to position on the skids, ready for transport by huge motor lorries to the railway station, some 43 miles distant. The skill of the bushmen with axe, saw. and maul, and their spectacular stunts of tree-climbing in spiked boots kept the visitors fully entertained and interested.

But the feature of the day was the tripping of a bush dam and the driving of logs by the flood of water. The dam is picturesquely situated in a gully, on the sloping sides of which the kauri is growing. About a hundred yards below the dam is a waterfall of about 50ft. with a deep pool below it. From a commanding site selected by Mr. Goldie the visitors had a full view of the rush of water, and its leap over the falls, with immense logs spinning and leaping like matches in the grip of the flood as the 3" took the headlong dash over the fall to cra6h into the turgid pool beneath, where they were subsequently floated into order for handling. It was a wonderful spectacle for townsfolk, few of whom had ever before witnessed this thrilling operation of the bueh industry.

After tea at the camp cook-house, the president of the Rotary Club (Mr. C. Rhodes) made the acknowledgments of the guests and the Club generally to Mr. Goldie for the splendid outing, and expressed tho opinion that Auckland citizens would gratefully appreciate the dedication of the kauri tree clump for their benefit. In reply, Mr. Goldie presented the Club with a Union Jack, on which was worked the Club's wheel and a kauri, which had been flown from the topmost tree of the clump during the afternoon. After cheers had been given by the guests for their hosts, the former, embarked for home in time to escape the rain, which did not reach the ranges until some time after passing over the cilv.