A beautiful warm clear day for a walk. I have shown you this reserve before. R dropped me off to walk and collected me later. ( I was tired and hot )
New Zealand native cabbage trees in full flower.
Kahikatea ( white pines ) planted in a stand together in the late 80s.
Flax in flower. Tuis are often seen upside down licking the nectar from these flowers.
A close up of Miro leaves. Its my favourite NZ native tree.
I went up a side track and found a newly planted area ...all NZ native plants nestled in long grass but doing well. The reserve is looked after mainly by volunteers.
I stood on top of this ridge and looked back across the open paddock and away toward the Minden Hills.
I never saw another soul while walking...very peaceful.
I have known so many NZ native trees and plants since Primary School in the late 1950s. In Std 5 and 6 we all had to make a native leaf collection. I lived in the country and had ready access to NZ Native bush so would take huge bunches of leaves in the school bus for the town kids to have. The bus driver was also my Teacher so he encouraged me. We all pressed the leaves in big heavy books for weeks then stuck them ( unfortunately using sellotape which discoloured with age ) in a big scrapbook and wrote their names (s) and a description of each one. I know I had well over 100 in mine.
