TRIP REPORT : Private forest blocks, Moonshine Road, Upper Hutt

 Saturday 7 June 2003 :   Private forest blocks, Moonshine Road, Upper Hutt

We spent a lovely day botanising the two blocks, one owned by Ian Flux and Merryl Park, and the other by John and Meg Flux.   The contiguous properties, totalling about 40 ha, on the north side of Moonshine Road, on a True Right tributary of the Hutt River, have been approved for covenanting by the QEII National Trust, and are proceeding toward registration.   We congratulate the owners on taking this step to protect with Open Space Covenants, in perpetuity, this fine forest.

We met opposite 196 Moonshine Road, and divided into three groups.   To list as many plant species as possible, the groups walked different routes to the lunch spot at Ian and Merryl’s house.   One group walked up Moonshine Road, then along the long drive; another group walked up “Moonshine Creek”; another group tramped via a series of spurs and gullies.   On the return trip to the cars, most of us went down through a pine plantation, then a steep spur to “Moonshine Creek”, down the creek and up to Moonshine Road.

Most of the land is steep, and ranges in altitude from 100–400 m above sea level.   Ian and Merryl have lines of possum bait station which they keep filled, and are also concerned about goats, rodents and mustelids infesting the forest.

The result of our endeavours in the forest on these soon-to-be permanently protected properties is a list of about 138 native plants and about 79 alien plants.   Copies of the lists will be sent to the owners, and with their permission, to QEII National Trust, Greater Wellington regional council, Department of Conservation, and Upper Hutt City Council.

One group of six botanised a route which climbs a steep, south-facing talus face and sidles in and out of gullies.   Ian showed us some of the 100 cyanide bait stations which they bait monthly.   Possum numbers are steadily declining on this route, and Ian is about to start another line of stations.

The slopes support regenerating podocarp / broadleaf forest with emergent rewarewa and an emergent, probably pre-European matai.   Canopy components are hinau, black maire, totara and northern rata.   Kiekie, thickets of supplejack, and clumps of Astelia solandri and Lastreopsis hispida flourish in the moist conditions.   All four liane ratas are present.   Further up we were surprised to see two red beeches, d.b.h. c. 18 cm, possibly planted, since there were kauri in the general vicinity.   There were several large black beeches.   Later, under pines, we saw two large pokaka c. 15 m high with est. d.b.h. 70 cm, and a magnificant, kaumatua kahikatea, est. 1.5 m d.b.h.

We thank Ian, Merryl, Meg and John for permission to visit their properties, and for their hospitality, including ginger cake from the car boot at the end of the trip!

Participants: Beth Andrews, Fiona Bancroft, Peter Beveridge, Rae Collins, Penny Currier, Gavin Dench, Pat Enright, Ian Flux, John Flux, Meg Flux, Dave Holey, Chris Hopkins, Chris Horne, Olaf John, Sheelagh Leary, Cath Mathews, Barbara Mitcalfe, Donella Moss, Merryl Park, Emil Schmieg, Allan Sheppard, Glennis Sheppard, Sunita Singh.

Chris Horne and Barbara Mitcalfe