LAST KAURI FOREST

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 82, 3 October 1929, Page 7

LAST KAURI FOREST

TIMBER FROM ■WHANGAROS

Timber is now reaching Auckland at regular intervals from, the bush at Whangaroa, last of New Zealand's great privately-owned kauri forests (states the "New Zealand Herald"). The forest is not so extensive as that on the Great Barrier, which has the distinction of being the largest privately owned one in the Dominion, and upon which work has been proceeding for some years, but it. has remained in its native state until comparatively recently. About five months ago the; Kauri Timber Company's bushmen invaded its sanctuaries and laid down, bush tramways, and now the quiet bush echoes with the sound of axe and saw.

Supplies of kauri from the Great Barrier are still far from exhausted, but the demand for good heart timber has forced the Kauri Timber Company to operate on its last extensive area. It is estimated that there are about 15,000----000 superficial fest of sound timber in the Whangaroa forest, and at the present rate of cutting it will be about three years before tho forest io thinned out. There is no mill on the beautiful Whangaroa Harbour—one of the most picturesque in New Zealand—and the timber, after being hauled to the water, is rafted and towed to Auckland by the company's veteran tug, the Lyttelton. This little vessel has seen 50 years' service, and she still fulfils her work nobly.

It takes at least four days an^ four nights to tow a raft of kauri logs from Whangaroa to the company's mills at Freeman's Bay. Frequently; the voyage is delayed by' an easterly" wind, and the tug, with its floating cargo, has to shelter on the coast until the wind changes to the west. New Zealand's kauri supplies are now rapidly diminishing. Some years ago, it was thought that they would have been «hausted by now, and that the mammoth forests of valuable timber would have been practically exterminated. However, it is thought that both' the Whangaroa and Great Barrier forests wiE have yielded their full supplies in another seven or eight years and only small trees will remain. They;, will have.to wait another 50 to 100 years before they can. be expected to yield good heart timber, and even thenl the quantity will not be great. Apart from the- kauri forest reserves owned by the Government, there are still a few small bush areas in the North Auckland district, notably one' near Whangarei, estimated to contain.' about 5,000,000 superficial feet of timber. In time these will doubtless bepurchased by the timber companies, and many prolong the kauri timber, trade for a few more years.

A branch of the Kauri Timber Company is at present milling timber in some of the islands of the New Hebrides group. This is a species of kauri jwhich resembles very closely the native" New Zealand type. However, it grows much more rapidly and therefore may not be quite so durable. There aTe laigV supplies of the timber, principally ia the rain forests of Vanikoro.