Editing Podocarpus totara (section)

==Human use==
The [[wood]] is hard, straight-grained, and very resistant to rot, especially its [[heartwood]]. Due to its durability, tōtara wood was often used for fence posts, floor pilings, and railway sleepers. It is also prized for its carving properties, and was the primary wood used in [[Māori culture|Māori]] carving. It was the primary wood used to make [[Waka (canoe)|''waka'']] (canoes) in traditional Māori boat building due to its relatively light weight (about 25% lighter than [[kauri]]), long, straight lengths, and natural oils in the wood that help prevent rotting. Tōtara could be drilled with chert points to make holes near the edges of the timber without splitting. In larger tōtara ''waka'', three or more sections were laced together with flax rope. A tōtara ''waka'' took at least a year to make using stone adzes.

Bark from tōtara is used to cover and protect traditional [[pōhā]] bags.<ref name="Landcare1">{{Cite web|url=https://maoriplantuse.landcareresearch.co.nz/WebForms/PeoplePlantsDetails.aspx?firstcome=firstcome&PKey=FB454C7E-CB0C-4D98-9F97-1E9D14D3A080|title=Landcare Research Manaaki Whenua: Māori Plant Use|website=[[Landcare Research|Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research]]|language=en-nz|access-date=21 November 2019}}</ref>