Australia & NZ (Cruise) -- Nov 2013

The large tree may be a California redwood. They have 6 planted in the late 1800s (when the gardens were started). They are perhaps the size of similar trees in California that are maybe 400 or 500 years old.

I heard at several places that one of the features of the New Zealand climate is that trees grow unusually rapidly there. That's one reason why we saw ships loading logs at three or four different seaports.

It's said that some types of trees grow more rapidly in New Zealand than in the place they are native to. In addition, some trees are said to grow differently in New Zealand than in other places. The spooky forest where the LOTR scenes were filmed near Wellington was mostly made up of a type of tree native to North America (I have forgotten the tree's name). They are apparently not as spooky-looking in North America.

I'm guessing the trees get more rainfall in New Zealand that in their native land -- and the growth could be affected by minerals in the soil, which, in many places, has probably be "enriched" by volcanic eruptions within the last few thousand years. (IMG_5063.SX40.JPG)