2 April 2008

Chateau Mosquito Track

page 3

We carry on along an open track through native scrub

Someone's been down here recently. I notice a few pieces of kanuka chainsawed clear of the track further down the hill, so probably the park ranger for the area.

We arrive at a small clearing marking the end of the 4WD track.

Almost immediately the track begins to dip and becomes narrower and more enclosed.

The ranger is going to be walking past these two trunks.

I notice small green berries on the hangehange which will eventually become darker and then black

Here's another native I cannot at present identify (but could once). It looks more as though it should be an imported weed of the dock or inkweed type, but it is definitely a local.

A punga hosts a small leaved rata and a sedge typeplant I shall not even try to i.d.

And here's a mapau growing directly from the punga trunk.

Kiekie and other epiphytes are super lush around here, like a mezzanine floor. I instinctively duck as I pass beneath.

Even the ground is covered.

Over to the right a young nikau forms a moire vase against the light

Up ahead a hanging fern drops great long fronds towrds me. This is definitely fern country. The pungas themselves are mostly oldies, with huge bases.

The mottle/dapple of light is quite amazing. i'd need far greater skill than I have with a camera to catch hold of it and that just might interfere with my present delight in it.

From scrub it's turned to a lush and ferny wonderland.

Low branch! This ancient rimu is by far the biggest tree I've seen so far and fallen and all it's as alive as ever it was, to say nothing of the crowd of smaller plants it is hosting.

A couple of saplings have intertwined.