Kōrero: Kauri gum and gum digging

When diggers returned to their huts, there was still work to be done – the tedious but necessary task of scraping the oxidised crust off the gum. Unscraped kauri gum sold for much less than scraped gum. In the evenings by candlelight, and on Sundays, diggers would use a knife to scrape off the rind.