Pieter (Pete) Verlaak, talented Belgian photographer, has pulled together the first, and perhaps last, photographic exhibition of a unique New Zealand treasure: Kauri Gum (Kapia). Overseas it is better known as young amber (bernstein) or young hu po.
The location, the Arataki Visitor Centre on Scenic Drive, also holds a modest collection of polished kauri gum, and kauri trees surround much of the visitor centre. Information on uses for kauri gum, both here and overseas are outlined, including the industry's importance for early New Zealand.
The Arataki Visitor Centre is the gateway to the wonderful Waitakere Ranges, and an excellent place to begin a trip to the West Coast beaches and walking tracks.