Your source for quality local timber
Quality New Zealand-grown timber is worth sourcing properly, but finding the right species in the right dimensions isn't always straightforward.
At MacBlack Timber, our locally grown rough sawn timber comes from farm forestry around Whanganui and Manawatū, with around 20 species usually on hand. We also source reclaimed native timber, giving customers access to quality native species with character and history. All timber is untreated, chemical-free, air-dried and finished in our on-site dehumidifying kiln where required.
At MacBlack Timber, our locally grown rough sawn timber comes from farm forestry around Whanganui and Manawatū, with around 20 species usually on hand. We also source reclaimed native timber, giving customers access to quality native species with character and history. All timber is untreated, chemical-free, air-dried and finished in our on-site dehumidifying kiln where required.
Pick boards straight off the racks, order them machined and dressed, or take them green and unseasoned at a lower cost. For stock, pricing or freight, drop us a line through the Contact form.
Timber Supplies - Overview:
MacBlack Timber mills roughsawn timber in Whanganui from around 20 locally grown species, including macrocarpa timber, cypress timber, hardwood timber and live-edge timber slabs, graded and supplied direct from the mill.
- Roughsawn timber milled on site from locally-grown farm forestry logs
- Around 20 species stocked including macrocarpa timber, eucalypts and acacias
- Air-dried for roughly 12 months, kiln dried option available
- Boards sold green, rough sawn, dressed, machined or custom-profiled to spec
- Live-edge timber slabs available for benchtops, coffee tables and statement pieces
- Hand graded hardwood timber, untreated, with nationwide freight through Mainfreight
From forest to finished quality timber
Our forest-to-form model starts on local farms. Growers are visited, individual trees chosen and logs brought back to the Whanganui mill, cut to size and stacked for drying.
Timber usually spends around 12 months in stack or in the on-site dehumidifying kiln before leaving the yard. Every board has a known chain of custody, minimal transport miles and is handled by our team at each stage, from log through to finished product.
Larger character boards often go on to become timber benchtops, and profiled runs feed our flooring and panelling work.
Timber usually spends around 12 months in stack or in the on-site dehumidifying kiln before leaving the yard. Every board has a known chain of custody, minimal transport miles and is handled by our team at each stage, from log through to finished product.
Larger character boards often go on to become timber benchtops, and profiled runs feed our flooring and panelling work.
Around 20 species of locally grown exotics stocked
Stock rotates with what's milled, dried and sold. Some species are always stocked; others sourced to availability.
Often the native timber requested isn't best; a durable exotic works better. Whether it's a rare species or an unusual requirement, we genuinely enjoy finding creative solutions for your most niche timber projects.
Macrocarpa timber: cypress for cladding, construction, joinery
Eucalyptus timber: ~10 species for hardwood flooring, benchtops, joinery
Black wood (Australian acacia): proven in NZ ~100 years for benchtops, barn doors, flooring, panelling, and more
Elm: attractive grain, feature joinery, overlay flooring
Cedar and redwood: lightweight softwoods for wall lining/panelling, and outdoor projects
Poplar: hypoallergenic seating (other timbers' resins irritate skin), lightweight pale colour, ideal for paneling and sarking
Live-edge timber slabs in various species
Rough sawn, dressed, machined or green
Rough sawn timber is timber straight off the mill: dried, but still needing work before becoming a finished product. Some folks take a stack home and handle the rest. For those without the gear, machining, dressing and profiling happen in-house to your specifications.
The industry-standard 10% wastage allowance is included in quotes. Boards can be grain-matched so joins are hard to notice, and larger dimensions built up through the joinery workshop.
Standard milled timber supplies cover:
- Nominal 50mm thickness, with boards from 25mm to 50–60mm
- Widths from around 100mm to 200mm
- Lengths up to approximately six metres, limited by mill capacity
- Green, unseasoned timber on request at lower cost
- Contract milling using the portable mill taken to site where suitable
Untreated timber sold direct from the mill
Our timber is never chemically treated - no treated pine or preservatives. Instead, we supply naturally durable hardwood. Boards with rot or active borer are rejected. Need treated timber? We'll recommend a reputable seller.
Buying direct from the mill means:
Buying direct from the mill means:
- Sharper pricing without middleman margins
- Grading by people who handled the log
- Walk-in stock, custom orders or contract milling
- No order too small, single boards to larger runs
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Depot delivery via Mainfreight, or nationwide courier
The yard, 44 Peat Street, Whanganui, opens Monday–Friday 8:30am–5pm, weekends by appointment. To discuss a project, reach out via our contact form or drop by.
Around 20 species rotate through the yard, with regulars including Macrocarpa, around 10 Eucalyptus species, Acacia, Elm, Cedar, Redwood and Poplar. Stock changes as timber is milled, dried and sold, so it is worth checking availability before you plan.
No. Every board sold is untreated and chemical-free. Naturally durable hardwood alternatives are supplied instead, matched to the job. If treated timber is needed for your project, we can point you toward a reputable local seller.
Standard boards run from 25mm to 50–60mm thick, widths from around 100mm to 200mm and lengths up to approximately six metres, limited by mill capacity. Larger dimensions can be built up through the joinery workshop by grain-matching boards.
Yes. Green, unseasoned timber is available on request at a lower cost than dried stock. Most timber otherwise spends around 12 months in stack or in the on-site dehumidifying kiln before leaving the yard.
Freight is arranged nationwide through Mainfreight, including Wellington, Auckland, Taranaki and the South Island. Depot delivery is usually more affordable than residential. Freight is quoted per job and can shift with fuel prices.
Contract milling means bringing our portable mill to your site where suitable, cutting your logs to size and leaving the timber with you. It suits people with one or two trees where retrieving the logs is not practical.
Boards are handled and inspected at each stage, and any showing rot or active borer are rejected. Most borer seen is historic damage from the tree. If a faulty board slipped through, we would make it right.
What: Supply of roughsawn timber milled on site from around 20 New Zealand-grown species, including macrocarpa, eucalyptus hardwood timber, cypress timber, live-edge timber slabs, and graded, machined or green boards.