New Zealand's ancient swamp kauri (Agathis Australis) has been carbon dated at over 45,000 years old and is regarded as the oldest workable timber in the world.

The trees originate from the long-vanished ancient kauri forests that stood thousands of years ago and now lie beneath swamps in the North Island of New Zealand at Latitude 36° South.

The kauri has been preserved in peat swamps after an unexplained phenomenon felled the kauri forests some 40,000 years ago. A tsunami, cyclone, or even the advent of the last Ice Age are among the meny theories that have been suggested.

These giant trees grew to a height of 50 metres with a girth of 14 metres.

The extraction of the logs from the swamp is very demanding. Heavy machinery and skilled operators are employed to unearth and remove the logs.