Clematis is Flowering

We planted Clematis Paniculata seeds in pots about six years ago. When large enough they were planted out atthe edge of our bush. They are now starting to flower for the first time. Fantastic. We look forward to this beautiful native creeper climbing and flowering over the bush canopy.

cordyline

Today while weeding self set pine trees in the Hugh Crawford DOC reserve I came across this cordyline banksii. It is the tallest I have seen around here at about two metres. There are many small ones up to 600mm high but this seems unusual.

Tomtit visited me while I was there. It was quite wonderful working away with the perfumed alseuosmia all about. It seem like an extraordinary year for flowering. The scent completely fills the air.

Pi Manu - The Ngunguru Sandspit

It was a stunning day today on the Ngunguru Sandspit.  Two to three times a year we have the privilege of counting shorebirds there for The Ngunguru Sandspit  Protection Society and Birds New Zealand. (OSNZ). Views south to the Horahora River mouth and Pataua. What a wonderful place the Tutukaka Coast is. You too can visit this beach if you come to the Tutukaka Coast Winter Festival

The Waiotoi Track - Alseuosmia Banksii Tree Fungi

This Alseuosmia Banksii on the Waiotoi Track is in full bloom. It has more flowers than we have seen before. The flowers are wonderfully fragrant. It is easy to find as its perfume permeates the air for 20 metres along the track.

This shrub is particularly tall at 2.28m.

I also found this large fungi. It is about 120mm tall and quite solid

It's All About Monarchs

It is super late in the Monarch Butterfly season and we still have caterpillars! We have taken quite a few into our warm lounge along with a bunch of swan plant branches for food. We then had caterpillars marching around the lounge looking for a place to settle to chrysalis. Two even chose the lounge ceiling as a place to hang.

The end result is that we have released a number of beautiful Monarchs back to the wilds.
It is a tough life for them now that we have that little black wasp that eats the eggs and caterpillars earlier in the season but not apparently this late. The South African Preying Mantis also has a voracious appetite for caterpillars.

End result we have caterpillars and butterflies at last. Wonderful!

Bird bath Action

We placed our camera for a day at one of our bird baths to watch the antics. Obviously it is a party place. The following videos show some of what goes on. Piwakawaka (Fantail) seems to not like the water but keeps coming back for more. Tauhou (Silvereyes) have a riotous time and throw the water out. We have never before seen Riroriro (Grey Warbler) at the bath.

Bay of Islands Weekend on Mason Bay

The Bay of Islands is the perfect place to relax on a boat, especially on like Mason Bay.

Nursery Web Spider

This beautiful Nursery Web Spider is about 60mm long. She lives in our wetland.

Our Beautiful Country - Easter Hike from Tapotupotu to Te Paki Stream via Cape Reinga in the Far North of New Zealand

What a wonderful country we have. Over Easter Melva, myself and our friends, Bridget and Jakub hiked and camped on the Cape Reinga Coastal Walkway. We dropped a car at the end of Te Paki Stream Road then drove on to the Tapotupotu  Bay DOC camp where we camped the first night.

We walked from the yellow dot in the North to the one in the south between the massive Te Paki dunes. This is the first section of Te Araroa to Bluff. We enjoy hiking sections but no plan to hike to Bluff

Melva at our Tapotupotu camp

The next day we hiked over the hills and Sandy Bay to Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Reinga) - and then on to Te Werahi. The views down to Te Werahi and over Cape Maria van Dieman to Motuopao are stunning. At the West end of Te Werahi we climbed over the ancient dunes and down through scrub land to Twilight beach where we camped the second night at a small DOC camp near the South end of the beach. Total 20.25Km  We had walked far enough for one day in the sun with full packs.

Climbing from Tapotupotu Bay

View over Tapotupotu to Serville Cliffs. New Zealand's most Northern point

Sandy bay to Te Rerenga Wairua

Te Rerenga Wairua

Tewerahi beach to Cape Meria van Dieman

From left Melva, Hilton, Jakub and Bridget

The trail to Te Werahi

Te Werahi

Te Werahi reflections

View from Herangi Hill to Te Werahi to Te Rerenga Wairua

 Herangi Hill

Melva and Bridget striding over  Herangi Hill

Cape Meria van Dieman and Motuopao from  Herangi Hill

Twilight Beach

Twilight Beach

Twilight Beach sunset

Twilight Beach DOC camp

Easter Sunday had us completing the hike over Scott Point, along Ninety Mile Beach to and up the Te Paki Stream to the carpark. We drove back to Tapotupotu, pitched our tents again, had a swim and collapsed all proud of how well we had done with our loaded packs. Another 15Km completed

All up it was a 35Km Hike.

Twilight Beach

Ninety Mile Beach

Ninety Mile Beach

Ninety Mile Beach

Te Paki Stream

Te Paki Stream and our Easter trail end.