5 May 2007

Maungaroa Ridge Track

page 2

What I am becoming aware of along here is just how narrow the ridge has become — probably no more than about 6m in places, and falling away on either side very sharply. No height issues, as the ridge is cloaked in trees.

That's hangehange and mingimingi behind and either Coprosma robusta or Coprosma lucida in front. I rather fancy the second as C. robusta tends to look scruffy and these don't.

We carry on downhill

and down

The canopy is principally big kanuka and rewarewa with occasional tanekaha, and as we get further along, more and more young kauri begin to appear along with the occasional rimu. Totara are still fairly uncommon here, apart from a small shrub here and there.

The track has widened considerably. After the confines of the McKenzie and Forbes tracks, I wonder whether this was part of an earlier road through here - perhaps connected with the Pole Line track?

A small bush lawyer (Rubus australis) catches the light to the side, just behind a young mapau (Myrsine australis) You have to expect in this part of the world that a fair proportion of plants are going to be described as australis ("southern"). Botanists as a whole are not known for radical flights of the imagination.

We continue downwards

The track begins to wash out along this stretch, a deepish ditch along the centre of the track, the edges sloping on either side.

Alice and I pick our way along. When the path is slippery and the tramper is top heavy, sticks are something one appreciates when it comes to moving comfortably. There are several points along here where a combination of slope, slipperiness and leaf litter conspire to take my feet out, but each time the sticks enable me to keep upright.

We contionue down the track. It's on the whole pleasant walking.

The canopy along here is still predominantly kanuka, with a fairly lush groundcover but not much except punga of intermediate height.

The centre trench gets deeper.

Growing among the rata this colour contrasted lichen stands out brilliantly.

The ferns are especially lush just along here.

Here's a mingimingi in berry. I am curious about why one plant among hundreds of the same species will display berries like this, almost unseasonably, when the others don't