The Greenstone Track

Greenstone Carpark to Greenstone Hut

Lake Rere Circuit

We head down again

and emerge shortly afterwards in a clearing that gives us a look out.

The beech forest here tends to dominate so much that secondary species stand out a little more. Here is a young Aristotelia, or makomako.

This has not been photoshopped. Therfe is a slight ripple on the surface but this water is like crystal, and well over a metre deep right here.

Climbing again.

This piece of forest is thickly carpeted in moss.

What's this?

It's an unlikely looking native. For its sins, it rejoices in the name "Broad-Leafed Carrot" (Angelica montana, Angelica gingidium, Anisotome gingidium, Gingidium montanum, Ligusticum gingidium etc - seems like one of those plants botanists like to argue about.) The "Plants for a Future" database reports that all members of this genus contain furocoumarins, which increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and may cause dermatitis. I recall workers in Dad's market garden needing special gloves when harvesting parsnip, against what used to be called parsnip burn. Same family.

The leaves and seeds are reported as edible, with an anise taste. This is the plant family that contains parsley and carrot, coriander, cumin and fennel, but also hemlock. You can't always generalise easily across a family of plants.

Here's another somewhat fragile piece of track

No big deal. Just another beautiful little waterfall in paradise.

Onwards.

And another reminder of the constant background care invested by DoC in keeping these tracks open and accessible.

Beech forest can get monotonous, left to itself. So, when a fallen tree opens an area up to the light, it permits a whole range of species to head for the sun. I find myself automatically slowing down in patches like this to see what's there.

Just after midday. Time for a packs-off and some lunch. No sign of the turnoff to Rere yet, which is a bit of a worry as it means we're somewhat less than halfway to Greenstone.

However, today we are not doing it hard on crackers and cheese and peanut butter. We have fresh rolls and ham and tomato and salad.

Onwards, and along the way a little we can see a somewhat larger waterfall.

The track heads down beside it and then edges its way along the cliff on the other side.

And here we are.

Right now, we're carrying on to the Greenstone Hut, but you can choose to either

OR