TRIP REPORT : Rimutaka Forest Park

 18 January 2003 :   Rimutaka Forest Park

On a warm, overcast day, we botanised the Whakanui Track, from Sunny Grove, Wainuiomata, to the Mt McKerrow Track junction, and returned via Nikau Creek to Hine Road.

The track first passes through black and hard beech forest, then as the altitude and wetness increase, broadleaf species replace the beeches, including some fine pre-European rimu, northern rata, and miro.   Many kakakaha / Collospermum hastatum, C. microspermum and kowharawhara / Astelia solandri, perch in the canopy trees.

Near the McKerrow Track junction, in more harsh climatic conditions, silver beech and kamahi dominate.   Windfalls are common.   Regeneration includes mountain flax / harakeke, and broadleaved bush tussock / Chionochloa conspicua ssp. cunninghamii, which with the wind-shorn canopy, add a subalpine touch to the landscape.

We lunched at the track junction, compared plant lists, then retraced our steps to take the route down a spur to Nikau Creek.   The lower part of the spur is covered by open hard beech forest with numerous epiphytes e.g. Collospermum hastatum, Astelia solandri, Easter orchid / Earina autumnlis, lady’s slipper orchid / Winika cunninghamii and fork fern / Tmesipteris tannensis

The valley of Nikau Creek, in the middle section, is wet, and has regenerating broadleaf forest with nikau palms.   The lower valley is drier, and tall kanuka (est. 60-70 years old) form much of the canopy.   Many of the sixty species of fern recorded for the trip are found here.

Ferns of interest included the bristle fern / Trichomanes colensoi and T. endlicherianum, waterfall fern / Blechnum colensoi, black hard fern / B. nigrum, and rusty filmy fern / Hymenophyllum ferrugineum.

A total of 203 native species were recorded for the trip.   We finished at Hine Road at 5.30 pm

Participants: Margaret Aitken, Lyn Ayres, Penny Currier, Pat Enright, Olaf John, Chris Hopkins (leader), Chris Horne.

Chris Hopkins