NZ Field Trips June 2011

[t00lie]

The quest for Gunnera hamiltonii

Hearing I was planning to visit a new area down the coast some 20 mins travelling time from home, Steve ,(aka Jandals), in celebration of his ,(finally), joining the Forum, came down and we decided to locate Gunnera hamiltonii.

The forecast of gale force winds with frequent showers wasn’t going to deter us although I made sure I was well wrapped up. My companion didn’t seem to be too worried about the cold –he was wearing shorts –a different set of footwear in the form of cut down gumboots was interesting …..



Arriving on site the weather was miserable with winds and sea spray straight off  Foveaux Strait as we made our way firstly around and then through the seemingly impregnable Manuka forest.





Approaching the coastal edge a couple of interesting rocky areas were sighted, however to get there we had climb down to the beach and negotiate through areas of foam.







Steve seemingly wanting to straighten his hair started crouching between some rocks with only his head open to the breeze  .I carried on and then waited for him to struggle in the wind to catch up as I also had some difficulty staying upright…..







  

[t00lie]

Reaching a small stream we made our way around a pile of driftwood into calmer conditions and almost immediately were surprised to initially come across a small plant of Raoulia hookerii var hookerii, then a larger mat.








Further up the slope we found hundreds ,in amongst the aggressive introduced marram grass and the golden native pingao ,as well as Geranium sessiliflorum var arenarium, Gentianella saxosa ,(some still in bloom),and large growths of Pimelea lyallii.










 

Upon reaching the base of the rocky fields in shady wet spots we spied extensive mats of Gunnera arenarium, however by this time heavy showers began to sweep the area so we decided to call it a day and search the rocky areas for G. hamiltonii another time.




Having climbed a few mountain ridges in my time looking for alpines I’m gob smacked to find Raoulia more or less at my backdoor.  

I lay in bed last night thinking about the hours I will no doubt will spend down there in more suitable weather ,exploring…………  

[Lori S.]

Very, very interesting, Dave!!  That's an astoundingly different looking environment to what I am used to!   Being pretty much a "fair-weather" hiker (OK, except for the occasional snow flurry  ), I'm amazed that you toughed it out in such conditions (gale-force winds).  Glad you did, so that we could see the result - beautiful wind-swept scenes and interesting plants!  

[Maggi Young]

And to think Steve was worried that you had invited him for a romantic walk along the beach........

This is a selection of plants that I doubt any of us would have expected to see in such a place; wonderful to see and learn this great ""stuff"!

I agree, it's about time Steve was seen back in the Forum.... he was around in the "old" version many moons ago and, strange as it may  seem, we've missed him 

Good to have your reports here too, t00lie, as with all the NZers. It's been tough to hear again of severe shocks in the Christchurch region. Best wishes to all Friends up there.

[David Lyttle]

I'm amazed that you toughed it out in such conditions (gale-force winds).  Glad you did, so that we could see the result - beautiful wind-swept scenes and interesting plants!  

If a little bit of wind bothered him, Dave would never leave home There is a reason for all the large pebbles that you can see sitting on top of the sand in Dave's photos.

The coastal Pimeleas are quite confusing and a recent taxonomic revsion of the genus has not entirely clarified the matter. There is a subspecies of Pimelea prostrata from the Foveaux Strait named Pimelea prostrata subsp ventosa (latin "ventus" the wind).

[ranunculus]

Welcome back to the forum, Mr Newall ... those shorts are getting longer, are you getting soft in your old age?
Perhaps the amber liquid is failing to warm you as fully these days?   

Excellent report yet again, Mr T.

[Maggi Young]

Welcome back to the forum, Mr Newall ... those shorts are getting longer, are you getting soft in your old age?
Perhaps the amber liquid is failing to warm you as fully these days?   

Excellent report yet again, Mr T.

I think the legs are getting shorter, not the shorts getting longer.... all those mountain treks will wear you down eventually, y'know

[ichristie]

Yes, great to see the pictures from our friends in N.Z the weather looks like what we are getting at home and this is our summer.  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[Diane Clement]

I'm intrigued by the last picture of your first batch, Mr T00lie - what is it 
It looks like a cremated pizza you took for your lunch but discarded in favour of something better

[jandals]

Well howdy Cliff . Buttercups RULE . Those are my winter shorts thats why they are longer . They are also a self-defense mechanism . People are always telling me that my wife wears the pants in my household . I casually reply that "it doesn't bother me because I always wear shorts and jandals anyway " . I have a bottle of amber liquid waiting here (with your name on it ) for your arrival in NZ Cliff Macallan 

[Lesley Cox]

Dave isn't known and loved by us all for his cooking Diane, so it probably IS a discarded pizza, except that Hilda would never have sent him out with anything so unappetizing. Otherwise, maybe it's a chunk of driftwood. As to the wind. you've only to look at both their sets of legs to know they can withstand the toughest south coast gales. Oak trees come to mind.

Hi Steve, long time and all that. I hear of Corwin more than of you nowadays. He's doing great things.

[jandals]

Hi Leslie . How are things up on the hill . I bet you got your washing dry yesterday . Did the neighbours return it ? The wee man is doing well and another NZSO recital coming up in September . I really enjoy going to these events.
I have become a specialist harvester of introduced weed seed and as such have a very low profile . Unless , of course , I am side on then my profile is a little wider
Hello to IanC and Maggie . Love the forum

[t00lie]

Thanks all for the kind comments.

And to think Steve was worried that you had invited him for a romantic walk along the beach........
 

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  Yes i heard about that .....

In truth Maggie ,Sundays little trip was a teaser for Steve-- to check ,after his recent enforced period of inactivity,whether he still had the fire in his belly ,the passion, commitment and drive to head out again in marginal weather.

While Doug and i ,(as the other two Directors of S.P.A.T.),haven't made a decision yet , i tell you in strictest confidence of course   ,things are looking upbeat for 'Jandals'.....
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I'm intrigued by the last picture of your first batch, Mr T00lie - what is it  
It looks like a cremated pizza you took for your lunch but discarded in favour of something better

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Not quite pizza Diane and Lesley although i understand parts of it are eatable.

Here is another pic of the object showing what i believe is the stem remnant of seaweed --maybe 'bull' kelp,(Durvillea sps) --the darkened scar area is where the kelp will have been attached to rocks.

Cheers Dave


  

[Anthony Darby]

Looks like something some women put in their freezer after a nine month wait?

[ranunculus]

Looks like something some women put in their freezer after a nine month wait?

Their fault for ordering giant octopus on-line from Tesco!!!