29 August 2007

Huia Dam Rd —

from Dam to Dam

page 3

Here's the next steep bit as we head over the ridge to Smith's Rd.

A big old makomako overhangs the road

The bright coppery tint of mapau also stands out

and a curiously marbled karamu.

It's quite a stiff pull up this bit, as I haven't done any real hillwork for a long time. Probably a couple of months since we did the Karamatura Ridge track. That was in strong rain, hence no photos, no track report yet, but I'm heading back there just as soon as it's dried out a little. From what I've heard there were times recently when you could just about have come down the Fletcher Track right next door in a kayak.

As I stick yet another gold-bronze species, heketara, into the lineup,

I'm starting to suspect I have something personal going on. It's a lovely colour to be sure, but I'll keep my eyes open for a rimu. Haven't seen any yet, but it'll do for variety.

Rewarewa, too, are starting to feature more prominently along the side of the road.

We're still heading uphill.

The first clumps of tutu appear beside the road, and this, also, will be a fairly constant companion along the way. This one has a brand new shoot and you can almost see it growing as you watch.

Further up the hill is a tutu in early flower

Most of the Coprosmas are spring flowering. Coprosma grandifolia is the exception and here we see some of the berries from a late autumn flowering.

A boggy patch by the side of the road hosts a pink swathe of parataniwha.

Unless you die first, even the biggest hills eventually show you the other side. My pulse rate is certainly right up there.

There's a brief downhill burst before it gentles out, but there's nothing like this on the way back.

Here's a nice looking Schefflera, pate, or seven finger - though I've only ever seen the last name in print, and in any case there are nine, not seven.

On a venture, I decided when I got home to find out a bit more about Scheffler. The genus was named in 1776 by JR and G Forster. Scheffler was Jacob Christoph Scheffler (1698-1742), a botanist and physician from Danzig. Rumour has it the genus of some 650 species is shortly due for a major shakeup. It is allegedly, gasp, polyphyletic. (You can look it up. I had to.)

There's not much else available apart from an interesting illustration of how the internet works. Somebody, somewhere, has erroneously described Scheffler as a "19th century botanist", and this has been uncritically accepted and repeated by dozens of other websites who simply grabbed the first info they could find. (Both Forsters died before 1800.)

It's gentle downhill now and I can relax. It's lush bush on either side of the road, very pleasant walking.

Kiokio is a sight to be seen along here.

By now, I've warmed up, it's gentle downhill, the sun is shining and where else would you want to be.

Here's a small rangiora. Seeing it, I realise that it is the only one I've seen so far along here.

I think these are a variety of lycopodium. Whatever the name, they look amazing, growing in profusion on the roadside banks.

Just across the road another of the slightly less common citizens of the bush = and another darling of the nurserymen and landscapers - a Pittosporum tenuifolium