Monday, October 13, 2008

Jalan-Jalan Ahau-Dee : The Kauri Museum


Kita berhenti sejenak bercerita pasal hal lama. Terima kasih La Signora,Wiz, Rush Murad, Diddy dan Anne di atas komen-komen pada cerita yang entah apa-apa tu … malu tapi mahu … he he he.

Sebagai selingan, ‘kembara ahau-dee’ bersambung dengan cerita kembara saya ke Hokianga – Northland’s West Coast bersama Chan dan Ang. Chan bekerja sebagai Payroll Manager untuk Sime Darby New Zealand dan Ang pula seorang Consultant dari IBM. Malay, Chinese dan Indian …. muhibbah kan? Cuma Chan adalah warga NZ.

Mungkin bagi kawan-kawan di Auckland tidak ada apa yang istimewanya tapi buat kawan-kawan dari tempat lain mungkin boleh masukkan tempat-tempat yang saya lawati ini di dalam your itinerary nanti.

Kami bertolak dari Auckland pada hari Jumaat jam 2.30 petang selepas mendapat pelepasan dari my boss … sporting boss mat salleh nih … he he he. Maklumlah cuti dah habis untuk balik Malaysia nanti.

Setelah 2 jam perjalanan, kami sampai ke destinasi pertama iaitu The Kauri Museum yang terletak di Matakohe. Chan memang agak ‘passionate’ bila bercakap pasal Museum ni sedangkan saya dengan Ang tidak berapa minat sangat.

Kami sampai tepat jam 4.30 petang dan hanya sempat berada di Museum tidak sampai setengah jam.Bayaran masuk untuk dewasa ialah $15. Tak sempat nak explore keseluruhan Museum. Baru ambil beberapa keping gambar … dah nak kena keluar … he he he.

Serba sedikit informasi mengenai museum ni dan juga Kauri Tree yang diambil dari internet serta gambar-gambar yang sempat saya rakamkan :-


The Kauri Museum is one of the countries most amazing theme museums. This is a real Must See Attraction for anyone visiting Northland.

This award-winning museum tells a fascinating story of the pioneering days through the use of kauri timber and kauri gum. Settlers first came to Matakohe and nearby Paparoa and Maungaturoto in 1862. This museum was established to celebrate their centennial and to pay tribute to those early pioneers.




The Mighty Kauri Tree

Agathis australis
Family: Araucariaceae
Genus: Agathis
Species: australis the only species in New Zealand


The kauri tree, Agathis australis, is New Zealand’s largest and most famous native tree. It is a type of conifer or pine tree which grows in the subtropical northern part of the North Island.

Ancestors of the kauri first appeared in the Jurassic Period 190 – 135 million years ago. The kauri – podocarp (cone bearing) – hardwood forests are among the most ancient in the world.

The largest kauri in existence is Tane Mahuta (Maori for 'Lord of the Forest'). It is 4.4 metres in diameter and 17.7 metres to the first branch. The museum has displays showing even larger trees which were growing in the past.


The oldest tree is estimated to be 2,000 years old. This is Te Matua Ngahere (Father of the Forest) in Waipoua Forest. Larger trees from the past were even older.



Kauri Gum

Kauri gum is a resin which bleeds from the tree. If the bark is damaged or a branch is broken by the wind, the resin bleeds out and seals the wound. This prevents rot or water getting into the tree. It can build up into a lump which goes hard. As the tree grows the bark is continually shed.

The gum is forced off and falls onto the ground around the tree. This had been happening for millions of years before mankind started to use it. There were vast quantities of gum in the ground. New Zealand has fossil kauri gum in coal dated 43 million years old. More recent kauri gum from 10,000 to 30,000 years old is known as kauri copal (or resinite).

Kauri gum was collected from the ground by picking up the exposed pieces on the surface. As this disappeared gum diggers probed in the ground with gum spears to find the gum, then dug it up with spades.

Trees were also a source of gum. Collectors would chip pieces of old hard gum from the branches and heads of trees where it had collected for many years. They also cut the trees to bleed fresh gum. This was collected later after it had developed into a hard lump.Kauri gum was used by the Maori people for cooking and lighting because it burns very easily. It was also used as a pigment to make the dark colour in tattoos, and as a chewing gum.



Examples of exquisitely beautiful polished kauri gum are on display at The Kauri Museum.

Special pieces were polished and carved to make extremely beautiful collection pieces. The museum has the largest collection in the world on display

Next posting, kembara saya ke Dargaville dan Waipoua Forest untuk bertemu dengan Lord of the Forest dan juga Father of the Forest.

Ahau - Dee

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dee, I would like to correct you. Next posting you are not going to tell us about the father forest and the cucu cucus. You are going to tell us about the rest of your career journey. I insist! Wait, I nak buat pop corn first. Best!

Keep writing Dee.

Ahau - Dee said...

Yes Boss ! Saya update dua-dua sekali ... he he he ...

Nak sikit pop-corn tu.