Orongorongo Station Wood Cutter and Post Splitter

Pictured is Dick Wootton, a woodcutter and post splitter from Orongorongo Station. He’s working on a 2-meter diameter Totara tree that has been felled and is in the process of being cut into sections with a two-man crosscut saw. Based on the length of the sections, they are likely making fence posts. Totara was highly valued for this purpose due to its durability, often lasting over 100 years. This type of work, felling the tree with an axe and cutting it by hand, ranks high on the list of physically demanding jobs. You can see the start of a second cut in this photo, taken in the Orongorongo Valley.