27 May 2007

Puriri Ridge Track

page 3

Some of the kanuka are quite massive. Here's an unusual one that has branched early.

If I'm correct - i.e., if I recall the labelled specimen I saw several months ago correctly - this is a Hall's totara, with a bark much more of a piece than the usual totara.

Some luxuriant moss up here as well.

photo by miranda woodward

A sign steers us around to the left, while off to the right is what looks like a former track reverting to bush

We carry on through a more level, open bush cover.

I'm not sure whether these are crown fern or another of the blechnums, possibly B. durum, or something else again.

One of the problems with identifying ferns for the elderly and stout is the bending and kneeling necessary to get the finer details.... Miranda, on the other hand, has no problem.

photo by miranda woodward

Here's a new frond just getting started

Pleasant walking along here. It's quite sheltered, but the noise of the wind above us is quite noticeable.

A lawyer reaches out for us as we pass. I've seen some wonderful pictures of these in berry, and great reports about clusters of edible fruit, but I've only ever come across one fruiting vine and the berries were nowhere near ripe.

Koromiko. (Hebe stricta) Not a major feature, but I always reckon it's a reassuring one. Diarrhoea in the bush is no fun, but it can happen, and the end of shoot leaves of these are one of the best and fastest cures about. Bottom right is a different species of Hebe which I'll get a better pic of later on the way down to the car.

Flying saucers come in all sizes.

photo by miranda woodward

This shows what the Sony Macro add-on lens can do, coupled with a willingness to lie full length on the ground with a pack on.

photo by miranda woodward

Well, someone's been through here recently tidying up.

The bush is getting scrubbier and more open as we go.

That's a decent size

photo by miranda woodward

photo by miranda woodward

A patch of Blechnum fraseri appear on the side of the track, their hard metallic green and their small "trunks" quite distinctive.

Briefly, the trees overhead close in again

and here we are. We're now technically on Donald McLean Track, but there's only a hundred metres or so to the carpark, so we continue as far as there.

Miranda spots another mushroom

The juxtaposition with the gorse seedling is brilliant.

photo by miranda woodward

Another small trophy for the macro lens.

photo by miranda woodward

Almost there.

and the carpark is just around to the left.

I read in some review of this track that the road up to the carpark should not be attempted unless your vehicle has plenty of grunt and then you'd be in low gear most of the way.

If you see those comments, disregard them. The road is no worse than the main road at the bottom, if a little steeper, but nothing to cause me problems and I'm one of the more nervous around on steep grades.

If this car can get up here, anyone can.

(Just across the park is the beginning of the Mt Donald McLean Walk, which I'm going to write about next.)