25 August 2005

Celebrating all things kauri

The inaugural Kauri Festival will celebrate all things kauri with over 30 events running throughout Northland at the end of September.

The festival is about celebrating and honouring a New Zealand icon – the kauri tree. It aims to highlight the large number of opportunities right across Northland to experience kauri both within and outside the forests.

Running from September 19 to October 2 the festival offers a wide range of activities for every interest, including a main street kauri parade in Dargaville, a kauri photo competition, kauri art displays and kauri chainsaw carving, to name a few.

Festival committee spokesperson Tara Rowe says the celebration is an ideal way to highlight the importance of kauri. “The event has attracted wide interest from businesses and groups across the region. The success of this year’s Northland Kauri brochure inspired many ideas, and the opportunity to host a regional event creates benefits to the economy in terms of attracting people to Northland. It’s a unique festival that almost everyone can relate to in some way”.

The Northland Kauri brochure, which was launched in June this year, includes a foldout information map which tells the story of Northland from the viewpoint of a 2000 year old kauri tree. The map includes an operator directory that guides visitors around the region.

The Kauri Festival is the first and largest kauri celebration in New Zealand and has been organised by a committee of key industry stakeholders including the Kauri Museum, Direction Dargaville, Destination Northland and Enterprise Northland.

“The festival committee members represent the people of Northland who stood up and wanted to celebrate the importance of the kauri tree as part of our regional identity and to take ownership of the kauri,” says Tara.

The Ancient Kauri Kingdom (Northland’s Regional Business of the Year 2004) is one of the venues hosting an event (carving demonstrations) during the festival. Co-Director Alan Perkinson says the festival is about claiming kauri as our own.

“There are small pockets of kauri elsewhere but this is the home of kauri and we need to claim it as our own brand and show the country what it’s about,” he says.

A map of the venues and a festival calendar provide an easy reference for visitors and locals who want something different to do during the school holidays, or a fun and interesting way to see Northland. Festival calendars are available on www.northlandnz.com

ENDS

KAURI FESTIVAL EVENTS

Experience the mystique of the majestic kauri tree through a variety of events, activities and tourism operators during the Northland celebration of Kauri.
Check out www.northlandnz.com for more event listings and details.

The Ancient Kauri Paper Competition
Entries close September 15 Dargaville
Create something from our ancient kauri paper and enter to
win fantastic prizes. Get creative! Be resourceful!
Woodturners Studio, 4 Murdoch Street, SH 12, 09 439 4975

The Kauri Museum Photo Competition FREE
Entries close September 16 Matakohe
Get your camera out, and enter the Kauri Museum Matakohe
and Warehouse Stationery Whangarei, photo competition.
The Kauri Museum, Church Rd, 09 431 7417

Northland Kauri Festival Quiz Evening
Saturday September 17 Hokianga
Test your knowledge on kauri, Northland and more.
Grandstand audience. Time: 7:00pm.
The Copthorne Hokianga Hotel & Resort
Omapere, South Hokianga, 09 405 8737

‘Recovering the Giants’
September 19 - 26 Dargaville
Photo display, video and talks on recovering the swamp
kauri in the Kaipara district. Time: 9:00am – 4:00pm.
Dargaville Museum, Harding Park
Lighthouse Function Centre, 09 439 7555

Art Kauri FREE
September 19 – October 02 Hokianga
An exhibition of work in kauri and photo display, kauri
planting and great kauri forest walk plus waterfall.
Labyrinth Woodworks & Maze
647 Waiotemarama Gorge Rd, 09 405 4581

Kauri Twilight Encounter*
September 19 – October 02 Hokianga
Experience the 4-hour ‘Twilight Encounter’ in Waipoua
Forest. Tours depart at 4:45pm daily.
Footprints Waipoua, C/O The Copthorne Hotel & Resort
Hokianga, SH12 Hokianga, 09 405 8207

Tangowahine Kauri Escape
September 19 – October 02 Dargaville
Enjoy a weekend kauri escape at Tangowahine Farmstay.
Tangowahine Farmstay, 09 439 1570

Kohukohu Historic Kauri Walk FREE
September 19 - October 2 Kohukohu
Self guided walk through Kohukohu, visit signifi cant kauri sites.
Kohukohu Library, 09 405 5823

Kaurinui
September 19 – October 02 Kaitaia
Celebrating our kauri - special exhibition in museum gallery.
Far North Regional Museum
6 South Rd Kaitaia, 09 408 1403

Gumdiggers Park FREE
September 19 – October 02 Waiharara
FREE entry to the park on 21 September. All other days 15%
discount on entry fees and lots of in-store discounts.
Gumdiggers Park, Ancient Buried Kauri Forest
Heath Rd, Waiharara (20km N of Kaitaia), 09 406 7166

Ancient Kauri Chainsaw Carving FREE
September 19 – October 02 Awanui
New Zealand’s top chainsawing artists demonstrate the art
of carving ancient kauri timber.
Ancient Kauri Kingdom, 229 State Highway 1
Awanui, 09 406 7172

Kauri Night Walk Adventure*
September 19 – October 02 Puketi Forest
Discover Puketi forest at night, have a kiwi BBQ and stay in
our self contained unit.
Adventure Puketi, 476 Puketi Road
Okaihau, Bay Of Islands, 09 401 9095

Kauri & Kororareka Tour*
September 19 – October 02 Russell
Kauri festival tour around historic Russell (Kororareka), visit the
phenomenon kauri ‘twin bole’. Time: 9:30am and 1:30pm.
Fernz Eco Tours, Russell, 09 403 7887

Ancient Swamp Kauri Carving FREE
September 19 – October 02 Whangarei
Watch talented local and national carvers/sculptors
demonstrate their skills & check out the in-store specials.
The Ancient Kauri Clock Factory, Nell Place, Otaika
Whangarei, 09 438 8884

Whangarei Museum & Heritage Park FREE
September 19 – October 02 Whangarei
Walk the Tree Trail, visit historic kauri buildings, or come
and try your hand at polishing gum with members of the
Whangarei Rock & Gem Club.
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm, daily.
Whangarei Museum & Heritage Park
SH 14 Maunu, 09 438 9630

The Kauri Bushmen’s Association
September 19 – October 02 Whangarei
Special exhibition tracing the early days of the Northland
timber industry. Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm, daily.
Whangarei Museum & Heritage Park
SH 14 Maunu, 09 438 9630

The Kauri Shop
September 19 – October 02 Whangarei
Come in-store to see top quality, innovative kauri products
created by Master craftsmen.
The Kauri Shop, Town Basin, Whangarei, 09 438 5164

Kauri Historical House Tour
September 19 – October 02 Whangarei
Take a tour around the historic kauri waterfront house and
quality art gallery - Reyburn House.
Time: Tues – Fri 10:00am – 4:00pm, Sat, Sun 1:00 – 4:00pm.
Reyburn Art Gallerym, Reyburn House Lane
Town Basin, Whangarei, 09 438 3074

‘Three of the Best’*
September 19 – October 02 Whangarei
Visit three of Whangarei area’s largest kauri trees in
AH Reed Memorial Park, Crawford Scenic Reserve and on
the Tutukaka Coast. Time: 9:00am – 2:00pm.
Green Gecko Tours, 09 437 7532

Whangaroa Was All Kauri
September 19 – October 02 Kaeo
Displays on Puketi Forest, ‘Boyd Massacre’, Dromedary
Road, Timber Mills, and Shipbuilding.
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm daily.
Whangaroa Museum & Archive Inc.
Old Post Offi ce, SH 10, Leigh Street, Kaeo, 09 405 0050

Bushmen, Gumdiggers and Botanists*
September 22 – October 02 Totara North
Visit Totara North mill, enjoy a guided walk of Wairakau stream
track, and tour the historic Whangaroa harbour by boat.
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm.
Bushman’s Friend, Totara North, Kaeo, 0800 266685

Kauri Fest in Dargaville FREE
Saturday September 24 Dargaville
Street parade & main street window display competition. A
kauri forest moving down the main street! Parade starts 1:00pm.
Direction Dargaville, pauliner@wdc.govt.nz

Where it All Happened *
Saturday September 24 & Saturday October 1 Kaeo
A conducted tour of the Whangaroa area, to the main
places where the early kauri industry evolved.
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm.
Whangaroa Museum & Archive Inc.
Old Post Offi ce, SH 10, Leigh Street, Kaeo, 09 405 0455

Te Ranga Kauri Safari *
Sunday September 25 Kaeo
Special 4X4 and 2 wheel farm bike tracks. 15km kauri safari!
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm.
Te Ranga Top Tours, 57 Pupuke Road
North SH 10 Kaeo, 09 405 0455

Lecture on the Araucaria Tree Family
Date to be confi rmed Whangarei
Lecture by ecologist Graeme Platt, NZ Botanical Institute.
Whangarei Museum & Heritage Park
SH 14 Maunu, 09 438 9630

The Northland Sustainable Tourism Charter Inc.
is sponsoring a Kauri Seedling Planting Programme for all
Friends, Active Members and Associates of the Charter.
Contact Ria Woollams for more information, 09 438 5110

*Bookings essential

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