The biggest and most famous trees in NZ are called kauri. When early settlers feasted their eyes on these behemoths they knew the best thing to do was sharpen their saws and cut them down. Only limited areas of original stands remain, and they are amazing trees. We went for a walk through a grove outside of Whangerie, and while not containing NZ's largest specimens, which we did get to see a few days later, we got a nice preview.
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| The trunk is wide and barely tapers until it abruptly branches 50 or 60 feet up |
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| The wood is fairly soft but very durable and was used for everything from shipbuilding to making furniture. It looks a lot like cherry in color and grain. |
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| From the walkway we could look down at this fern tree. They're all over NZ, grow up to 20 feet tall, and are as much an icon of the country as the kiwi. Partly because at least you can see them. |
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| Our next stop was the small town of Kawakawa, famous for its public toilets in the center of town. |
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| Friedensreich Hundertwasser was an Austrian Architect who designed much more noble projects than this, but these humble toilets are a fine example of his public work |
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| Who wouldn't want to go here? |
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| Kawakawa has leveraged the fame of its toilets with other wild art installations. The cafe across the street has warren of creative art you pay $2 to walk through and view. |
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