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Story: Northland places

Swamp kauri

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Swamp kauri

The area around Dargaville is one of the places where ‘swamp kauri’ can be found. Up to 50,000 years ago, thousands of hectares of kauri forest were flattened, possibly in storms. The trunks of the giant trees have been preserved in peat land, and are now excavated and milled for timber. This is used to make ornaments and furniture.

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The Kauri Museum, Matakohe

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How to cite this page

Claudia Orange, Northland places – Dargaville and the Northern Wairoa, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7860/swamp-kauri (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Claudia Orange, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.