Waipoua Forest Kauri Trees 

Stereoscopic Picture of Cathedral Grove

By John Wattie

Stereo Pictures

New Zealand's largest trees are able to grow anywhere in the country, but naturally grow only in the north of North Island. These northern latitudes were warm enough during the ice age to support the mighty conifers. Kauri trees grow so slowly they were unable to colonise further south after the ice age, before white men arrived and exploited them. 

New Zealand Kauri are probably the largest trees in the world, although not the tallest. Similar trees grow in Fiji.

 

Kauri trees contain the most wood per tree and excellent timber it is. The trunks grow to a huge girth, but without branches, before opening into a canopy high above ground. Milled planks are straight grained, homogenous, strong wood, excellent for furniture and ship building.  They were the first valuable export from New Zealand, but were cut mercilessly until few big ancient trees remained.

Waipoua forest is the last big area of Kauri, conserved since 1940 and later declared a National Park. 

Cathedral grove is aptly named, for here giant Kauri trees grow close together, with remarkably little undergrowth for a New Zealand forest. The mighty trunks rise like huge pillars to support the forest canopy far above, behaving like a cathedral roof. 

A flat picture does not due justice to the cathedral, but it begins to come alive in stereoscopic format. I have yet to see any picture which conveys the awe inspiring reality of the place and this is a continuing challenge to me. Cathedral Grove was nearly silent on this day. Sometimes wind is heard in the canopy and the distant call of a Tui. 

Three versions are provided: 
  1. a general view       (cross eye and parallel view stereo) 
  2. a bigger picture      (cross eye and parallel view stereo)  The distant trees 
  3. Bigger still              (Anaglyph format)                           The near trees.

A mono version of this was used in the 2002 Schering Calendar. That version was taken on Velvia film and has enhanced colour. The stereoscopic version is from a Nikon CoolPix 950 Digital camera, with more gentle colour.

 

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X Stereo Format  (Cross-eyes)
U Stereo Format  (Parallel eyes)

 X Stereo

RIGHT

LEFT

 

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Cathedral Grove Kauri

 

    U stereo pictureChoose stereo format 

U Stereo Big  / Small 

RIGHT

LEFT 

RIGHT

LEFT

 If using an 800 pixel screen, pan right with arrow keys for parallel eye stereo.

Small U format

 
Sterescopic view of Cathedral Grove Kauri trees

 

 

Cathedral Grove, Waipoua Forest, in 3d.

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 Big U formatUse Arrow keys to pan right if necessary

 
Small Version of the stereoscopic Cathedral Grove. U stereo of Cathedral Grove.

  Choose 3D format Down Page

 

Kauri Grove Page 2  

3D contents page

Stereo Picture Gallery

Anaglyphs

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