Live Edge Slabs
Since 2016, we have been salvaging trees across the South Island to repurpose into unique slabs. We have a collection of over 20 different species, ranging from natives like Rimu, Totora and Matai, to the exotic hardwoods including Walnut, Oak and Elm. All our slabs have been air dried for at least 2 years ensuring well cured and stable timber upon sale.
Get in touch to arrange a viewing of over 250 slabs in stock.
Dimensional Timber
We specialise in custom dimensional timber milling for builders, landscapers, farmers, contractors and DIY customers.
Using our Lucas Mill, we can mill logs into the exact dimensions you need for your project. We work with a range of locally sourced species including Douglas Fir, Larch, Macrocarpa and other specialty timbers.
We also carry a growing range of dimensional timber in stock, ready for collection. Our inventory includes a variety of common sizes suitable for construction, landscaping and rural projects, with custom orders available to meet specific requirements.
Whether you need a single beam or a bulk order, we can provide quality locally milled timber.
If you're looking for a size we don't currently have on the shelf, we can mill it to order.
Wood Chip, Biomass & Sawdust
At Whakatipu Timber Ltd, we produce high-quality woodchip and sawdust as part of our milling and forestry operations. Whether you’re looking for bulk loads for landscaping, animal bedding, or biomass fuel, we’ve got you covered.
Woodchip
Playground & Garden Use – Clean, safe chip suitable for paths, gardens, and play areas.
Bulk Mulch – Ideal for weed suppression and soil moisture retention.
Biomass Fuel – Consistent chip size from our Heizohack 10-500 whole-tree chipper, ready for boiler and bio-energy use.
Sawdust
Animal Bedding – Soft and absorbent, perfect for stables, poultry, or stock bedding.
Composting & Horticulture – Breaks down quickly, adding structure and carbon to soil.
Our Timber Stock
Our Expertise & Passion.
Listed below is a short summary of the different types of timber slabs we have in regular stock.
Occasionally we have unique varieties that come through the sawmill, so if you're looking for something that's not listed below, please get in touch!
Western Red Cedar
Very durable and rot resistant timber, stable and light making this timber good for outdoor furniture and cladding.
Multiple slabs in stock, ranging from 600mm to 1200mm wide and up to 4m in length.
Native Beech
A highly decorative hardwood with exceptionally strong characteristics, this timber is highly prized by joiners and cabinet makers.
Red and pink tones are typical amongst the native beech family, giving it a warm feel once finished.
Great for turning, carving and machining, we have plenty of sizes in stock.
Rimu
The majority of our Rimu comes from the West Coast of the South Island or Stewart Island, Rakiura. Due to the climate this far south, most of our native timber has incredibly tight grain that gives off some fantastic character. All our Native Timber is cerftified by MPI, allowing you to buy with confidence knowing that it has been sourced legally and sustainably.
Himalayan Cedar
Originating from central Asia, this particular species of cedar is strong, light and durable, meaning its good for most applications ranging from construction to furniture making.
We have a variety of sizes in stock ready to use, perfect for outdoor bar leaners or picnic tables.
Black Oak
Very rare timber in the South Island, dense and heavy with some rich, dark tones in the heartwood. Only a handful of slabs left of this species. sizes range from 450/600mm wide to 2.4m long
Walnut
One of the most desirable timbers in the furniture world, prized for its dark heartwood and dense structure. We travel all along the South Island trying to source this timber from old orchards & stations, in search of unique grain and unusual sizes. With over 30 slabs currently in stock, we're sure we'll have the right slab for you!
Cherry
Due to our location in Central Otago, we have a great source of stone fruit woods such as cherry, pear, apricot and plum, all from the local orchards.
Although these trees don't get to a massive size, they do have some interesting character within the timber. We have a large stock of these fruitwoods, in dimensional timber and as slabs, perfect for your upcoming DIY projects.
English Oak
This timber has been used throughout Europe for millennia, ideal for hardwearing projects such as kitchen countertops, desks and dinning room tables.
With its chocolate brown hue's and light sapwood for contrast, this timber has some beautiful characteristics. Being one of the most popular timbers amongst joiners, get in touch to see our stock in person.
Black Poplar/Cottonwood
Prolific in Central Otago, this species of poplar gets to an enormous size, making them ideal for large conference tables and statement pieces at home.
Also known as rainbow poplar, the colour inside the timber is very unique, with no set standard and a variety of different tones.
A low density hardwood, easy to work with and stable once dried, this makes a fantastic timber for large slabs.
Golden Elm
Warm, orange and brown colours are typical for weeping and golden elms, commonly grafted at a young age as you can see in this particular slab.
This makes a fascinating grain structure as you can clearly see the two species fused together, often leading to burling in the upper portion of the timber. Large variety of sizes in stock.
Douglas Fir/Oregon
A true wilding pine, this tree gets a bad wrap in NZ and is often overlooked! One of the strongest softwoods out there, incredibly stable and durable, and in the Central Otago environment it seasons well if used correctly.
Due to the abundance of this species the timber is fairly cheap, but still has great character and often comes in wide slabs. We also mill to order lots of dimensional Oregon for any upcoming building projects you have.
Totara
A highly revered native timber, we go to great lengths to have this timber in stock as its often sought after.
Traditionally used by the Maoris for carving, and later used for fencing, railway sleepers and flooring, this timber is incredibly hard wearing for a "softwood".
Normally sourced from the rivers off the West Coast, the timber holds some incredible colour and grain patterns after its been cured.