The huon pine tree is not actually a pine but a podocarp, an evergreen conifer found mostly in cooler areas of the southern hemisphere, especially Tasmania. It is a slow growing, but long-lived tree, which was and is highly prized fine grain, golden colour and the fact that it does not rot easily due to a natural oil it contains. It was over-logged and, as it grows so slowly, it s numbers have been dwindling. It now has protected status within Tasmania.
This boat, which we by-passed today on our cruise, is built from huon pine and our captain informed us that it is likely to outlive all of the boats around it.
Jean
No comments:
Post a Comment