TRIP REPORT : Aorangi Forest Park, North Block

 18 – 21 April 2003 :   Aorangi Forest Park, North Block

Eight members joined this trip to southern Wairarapa, based at DOC s comfortable Waikuku Lodge.   We visited Dry Creek and Blue Creek on the way in, the limestone bluff on Mr Druzianic’s property (PNA site 3310) and Grey Cliffs QEII Covenant (PNA site 2706) on the way out.   The Saturday trip was to the Mount Ross Ridge and on Sunday a circular walk via the Old Mill Road, and Sutherland Flat.

The Friday and Monday visits were uneventful.   We added a very few new species to the plant lists prepared by Pat Enright.

Blue Rock Stream has a good representation of Wairarapa native plants with a variety of habitats although the understorey is rather eaten out.

The Dry River area opposite the Pakohe Limeworks deserved more time and the additions included several Hymenophyllum species and Sophora microphylla.   Here we also found both Polystichum neozelandicum and P. oculatum – two of the three species that are in publication and have been previously grouped under Polystichum richardii.   Elsewhere on this trip we found only Polystichum neozelandicum / smooth shield fern.

At Grey Cliffs a climb from stream to the ridge added, among others, Lindsaea linearis, Lastreopsis glabella, Carmichaelia australis / NZ broom and Huperzia varia.   But we failed to find Hymenophyllum cupressiforme and Asplenium appendiculatum, which are “special” to this reserve.

Some clambering on the limestone at the Druzianic property added a single Shefflera digitata that had avoided browsing, but we hunted in vain for Urtica linearifolia / swamp nettle.

Saturday saw six of us crossing the east branch of the Turanganui River above Sutherlands Hut and making our way past Urtica ferox to Averills Hut.   A long slog up the well-marked Mt Ross track, occasionally blocked by tree falls, brought us to the main ridge.   The “Loop Track” route was then along the ridge generally NE through beech forest along a reasonably clear track.   The next kilometre was through small-leaved coprosma and Pseudowintera scrub sometime over our heads and more often forming a carpet at chest level that hid the track and the few blazes.   Route finding was not helped by the low visibility in the mist.   This slowed progress and more time was lost before we found the route down the spur to the river and the road “home”.   The last hour was in the dark, but we avoided a night out thanks to Gordon Leary’s nose for a route, and some work with the GPS, compass and map.

Botanical interest turned on finding species not recorded on the Aorangi Range list.   Melicytus lanceolatus / mahoe wao and a single plant of Tmesipteris tannensis / fork fern were added.

Sticherus cunninghamii / tapuwae kotuku/umbrella fern was added on the following day when we walked the Old Mill Track, passing through the patches of red and later black beech and regenerating bush.   Toetoe was the other notable species – it flourishes across the track in many places, particularly near the old mill site, making progress slow and wet.

An enjoyable long weekend but made rather arduous by the poor state of the tracks and signage.

Rodney Lewington