NZ field trips Jan 2008

[Lvandelft]

I have a few species growing in my garden. I will take some pictures and post them to show thw range of species/ forms that may be found.

You make me curious David.
Luit

[t00lie]

Trip into North Canterbury /Nelson Lakes areas post NZAGS conference --part 1 .

As my previous botanizing endeavours had been limited to about half way up the South Island it was a wonderful opportunity to see alpines i'd never seen in the wild.Hopefully i have identified the plants correctly.

First ski field visited was Mt Lyford-- Nth Canty.Access required an effort with shovel and pick!!!.However that is another story.

Haastia pulvinaris has a strong sweet fragrance that can easily be picked up on the breeze.While the large sheep like cushions can appear smooth like at a distance the flowering 'branches' give it a surprisingly knobby effect.

On the more mobile screes were some gems ...

Most were difficult to spot being well camouflaged as the colour of the scree stones.
I found if i looked up slope they were easier to find.
eg the Haastia recurva ? pic.

David showed a shot of Lobelia roughii from Mt Hutt .Here it is again on Mt Lyford--a great combination of dark grey leaves with bronze coloured edges/yellow tips.

Something has had a nibble on Lignocarpa carnosula ?

Came across this fella a bit further on looking at home on the scree.

In tussock herb field Celmisia incana

Finally not a particularly good shot but one of interest to the forum in that i'm sure i see Ian ,(yellow backpack),giving his captive ? group a quick lesson in the art of Morris Dancing.Wink.


Parts 2 & 3 to follow when time allows.

Cheers Dave.

[t00lie]

It's Waitangi Day here ,a public holiday in celebration of the signing of the treaty in 1840 between the Maori and Crown ,(representatives of the English Queen), and too hot to be working outside in the garden so here goes Part 2 .

The next day travel was via the Clarence River valley to Lake Tennyson and over Island Pass.

In the river valley Aciphylla subflabellata

At Lake Tennyson Gentiana corymbifera were everywhere.

The lake is the source of the Clarence.

On the gravel fans that have been swept down from above Helichrysum depressum --such a dead looking plant until flowering time--again a plant with a strong sweet scent which wafts through the air.

A view of the lake with Aciphylla aurea in the forground.

On Island Pass and a bit further on the screes were home to ..

Wahlenbergia cartilagina and

a plant i most wanted to see Notothlaspi rosulatum--unfortunately they were past flowering and to my eye the faded flowering stems gave the plant a scruffy look --fabulous basal leaves however.Again something has had a feed.

Part 3 still to come.

Cheers dave.

[t00lie]

Rightio Part 3.

The following morning after a nights rest at St Arnaud in the Nelson Lakes area Rainbow Ski Field beckoned.

The view from the vehicle as we travelled up the forested valley.

Fields of Ourisia macrocarpa in cool seepage areas.

Once at the ski field proper some interesting plants were found around the large tarn.

Including a Myosotis sps.

Upon reaching the ridgeline there was a nice shot of Lake Rotoiti back towards St Arnaud and the other way of Haastia pulvinaris in the distance.

Every 100 metres or so all around the valley there were bait stations for stoats /rats.Apparently volunteers check/ reset them quite often.Here is one along the highest ridge .We saw ,(or at least smelled), a couple that had expired long overdue residents.

Finally upon returning to our accommodation at St Arnaud we noticed a flock of about a dozen birds resting on the power line into the building.All except one would fly off when approached --I'm told they could be Swallows.If so another first for moi.

I've tried to give a brief idea of the terrain and small sample of the plants seen.No doubt Ian will have plenty to post once he has settled back home.
   
Cheers dave.   

[Doreen Mear]

Thanks for the great pictures, David and Dave - mine are still in the camera!

Finn will be home by now and Ian on his way, so hope they've had a good time down here, that we didn't work them too hard at the conference or play too hard in the week following! It was a real treat for us to have Ian and Finn visit, they complemented each other and our home-grown speakers so well and were such good company. Such good company in fact, several people suggested we have our next Study Weekend in Tromso or Aberdeen, so be warned!

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great stuff David and Dave !
Thanks for sharing these, for us, inaccessible beauties ! 

[Lesley Cox]

Great stuff Dave, thanks for these pics of areas I've not visited but heard such a lot about from those who have. Really good to SEE what's there.

I hope Ian and Finn arrive or have already arrived home safely and that they enjoyed their short time "down under." It was a great thrill and privilege for us, to meet them both and hear and see their super talks.

[Maggi Young]

Ian is flying between Singapore and London, Lesley. He should  get to Heathrow at 5.30 tomorrow morning.
If all is to time and transfer to other terminal is quick, he should catch the 7.05 to Aberdeen and be on Scottish soil at about 8.35 am........ that means he'll get stuck in the rush hour traffic on the airport road, so he may be home by next Tuesday!! Or, with luck, he may be here before Lily has had her morning bark at the Postman 

He has had the most marvelous time, loved the country and was so pleased to meet up with friends old and new.....I can only thank you all for taking such good care of him !

[Lesley Cox]

Finally my mt Hutt pictures are findable. don't know what the problem was but it's sorted now. So although out-of-date, I'll post a few here. I'll try not to duplicate others' pics.


Mt Hutt has a wonderful view across the Canterbury Plain to the sea, a bit hazy on the day but beautiful, all the same from the ski basin.


Whether these veg. sheep couldn't bring themselves to take the plunge I don't know but there were many huddled at the side of the bungy jump. Proves sheep aren't so silly after all 


Mt Hutt has several Epilobium species and I've no idea what this is but it was lovely. Strictly for the hills though - an utter disaster in the garden due to its propensity for shedding its fine, fluffy seed in every direction and into every cushion.


The low, clumping gentian (gentianella now) at Mt Hutt is apparently G. divisa. It is multi-stemmed and can be grown quite successfully in pure gritty sand. It is short-lived however, perhaps 2 or 3 years max.

[Lesley Cox]

The biggest plant I've ever seen of Cotula atrata.


And one of the very best I've seen of Leucogenes grandiceps which usually grows in thin, straggling lines messed with grasses and weeds


The little harebell Wahlenbergia albomarginata is from white to a decent blue. This one was deeper coloured than the picture shows, a pretty and very growable plant.


Canterbury is famous for its braided rivers which start high in the mountains and run through the Plain to the sea. This is the largest, the Rakaia River, said to be the inspiration for Beth Chatto's dry, riverbed garden.


Raoulia eximia, best known of the vegetable sheep grows here in great flocks, often spilling down the hill as if the seed has washed down perhaps hundreds of years ago to start big colonies. They are very impressive.


Otto tried a bit of sheep wrangling.


This one's strictly for Maggi and Lily. I wanted Ian to sit on a sheep but he was reluctant, even though they are very hard. One could jump up and down on them and do no harm.

[Maggi Young]

Thanks, Lesley! My boy the BD looks happy!

Poor Otto, there he is, up a mountain and someone has glued him to a sheep and  then glued a lamb to his hat, but still he smiles.....probably thinking of a barbecued chop ....or perhaps Ian has given  Otto his favourite MacBab recipe?  A MacBab is a kebab made with lamb, marinated in honey and whisky .... YUMMY!

[Lvandelft]

Wonderful pictures Lesley! I like it when plants are shown with some surroundings.
From these habitats you can learn the most how eventually they would like it in the garden.
Thank you for sharing with us.
Luit

[Paddy Tobin]

As ever, from the southern hemisphere, a magnificient photographic display of the most excellent and interesting plants and all in such splendid scenery.

Many, many thanks for the enjoyment you have given.

Paddy

[Katherine J]

Many thanks from me too.
You have wonderful plants down there in NZ, and you all make wonderful pics! Watching them I feel like I was there too. 

[ranunculus]

Many thanks to you all for making me drool like a bloodhound at feeding time....