Totara

Totara, Podocarpus totara, is a conifer of the family Podocarpaceae endemic to New Zealand, growing into a large, long-lived tree with thick, fibrous bark. Its straight-grained, durable and easily worked timber made it the preferred wood of Maori craftsmen for carving large waka, or war canoes, as well as meeting houses and other carved structures, giving the species deep cultural significance that continues today.