Siamese Kauri facts for kids
The Siamese Kauri is a very special kauri tree. It grows in a place called Kauri Grove, which is about 10 kilometers south of Coromandel town in the North Island of New Zealand. This amazing tree gets its name because its lower trunk looks like two trees joined together. It's like they are "Siamese twins" of the forest! The Kauri Grove is one of the few places left where you can see big, old kauri trees on the Coromandel Peninsula. You can find the Siamese Kauri about 500 meters off the 309 Road, and it's a fun 30-minute walk to get there.
The Story of the Siamese Kauri
This unique tree started as two separate kauri seedlings. Over hundreds of years, as they grew bigger, the space between them slowly disappeared. Eventually, the two trees grew so close that their bases joined together.
Why This Kauri Tree Was Saved
Many kauri trees on the Coromandel Peninsula were cut down a long time ago. However, the Siamese Kauri and other trees in Kauri Grove were never felled. People aren't completely sure why these specific trees were saved. One idea is that mining companies owned the land. They were looking for gold in the area. Because of this, access to the land was limited, which might have protected the trees.
Protecting the Kauri Grove
During World War II, the government planned to cut down the trees in Kauri Grove. They wanted the wood to help with the war effort. But the people living nearby strongly disagreed. They formed one of New Zealand's first groups dedicated to protecting nature. This group worked hard to save the trees. After a lot of protest, a message came from the capital city. It said that the logging would stop immediately. This was a big win for conservation in New Zealand!
