Duck billed platypus

This forms part of my occasional 'my favourite objects' series. This platypus and vase were gifts from Tasmania and are made from Huon pine. The wood is incredibly smooth and close grained and is silky to the touch. Tasmania's endemic Huon Pine is famous around the world as a beautiful, golden-coloured, easily workable furniture timber. Its durability is due to the presence of a unique oil, methyl euganol, which permeates the wood, making it virtually impervious to rot and giving the timber a distinctive sweet smell. The trees grow within forests along the rivers and streams of Western Tasmania and along the Huon River in the south, where it was first discovered and named. Huon Pine is very slow growing, with a dense grain and close-spaced growth rings. The oldest living trees are of the order of 3000 years old. Logging is severely restricted and tourist items such as these are usually made from driftwood.

More information about these fascinating trees can be found here.