New Zealand River Wood

The rugged terrain of New Zealand made forestry challenging in the 19th century. Harvesting and delivering logs to sawmills on the coast often involved the construction of on-site dams made with the wood available at the staging areas. When the dams were released, the resulting deluge would hurl the newly felled logs down toward the coast and on to the saw mills for processing into timber. In practice however, nothing is ever that easy. On their passage down river a significant portion of the logs would become lodged between rocks or in the river bank, or otherwise disappear on their haphazard journey to the coast. These 'sinkers' were often abandoned due to the additional cost of recovery but today, the rare nature and consequent value of the timber, as well as the aid of heavy machinery, have made it possible.
Logs are reclaimed one or two at a time from the bottom of the river. A diver seeks the log by probing the muds of the riverbed and, once located, the log is marked for haulage to a raft where the timber is identified, and the log transferred to the shore to await transport to the mill. Each log recovered is a unique combination of the years and the water that has flowed over it. It is difficult to overstate the variety and uniqueness that is New Zealand riverwood.

Partnership

Laurie has partnered with the experienced team at NZ Native Riverwoods, who specialise in the recovery of these logs. For any log that shows promise for instrument tonewoods, Laurie is personally on site to consult and direct the resawing to yield tonewood that meets his exacting specifications. The resulting timber is then stacked and air dried at his property for later resawing into soundboards, back and side sets, and other components for instruments.

Eco Positive

The recovery and processing of this unique resource is undertaken with a committment to sustainable practices and with the appreciation and support of local iwi. River banks are replanted with native grasses and trees after recovery to improve the integrity of the existing river banks, which are often in a state of neglect and populated with invasive species before the recovery process begins. This ensures the river environment improves progressively over time. The extraction of the logs and clearing of invasive species also helps unclog the rivers and this in turn improves the quality of the harbours the rivers flow into. For every log recovered, there is significant benefit to the local and wider environments.
NZ riverwood is also a resource that does not add to the ever increasing strain on traditional tonewoods. It is not, and will never be, subject to CITES regulations and offers an exceptional alternative to those who wish to help work toward a more sustainable future.