Party: Anna, Elizabeth, Lesley
Map:
Distance: 11 kms
Elevation:
Time: 3 and a 1/2 hours
Notes:
This walk proved to be much more interesting than we had initially anticipated. It started off through paddocks of sheep, with lambs just approaching the tasty age, then via fields of buttercups past the trig and into dense bush. The track comes out on the Puhoi side of the Bombay hills at a grassy picnic area from where we took the short Kauri Track up a ridge and back. We had to retrace our steps - until this we have almost always managed to find a loop route - but it all looked different on the way back. It was raining as we drove up and it started again as we drove home but we walked in sunshine.
In theory we have divvied up responsibility for plant identification into three areas; Elizabeth gets the tall trees, Anna the ferns and fungi and Lesley everything in-between. So far tall and medium are doing better than the bottom layer [says Anna].
Click on the Greenhood orchid picture, and links given for Parataniwha (native begonia), Rhopalostylis sapida (Nikau palm) and Brachyglottis repanda (Rangiora) for more details.
[Pterostylis banksii]
