TRIP REPORT : Hutt City rata walk

 Saturday :   9 December 2006

Despite the weather, this year we had a pleasing increase in the number of walkers.   We first did a small loop to the east of the Hutt River to check northern ratas not seen on the first two years’ walks.   This loop included newer plantings, two recent sightings and a good close-up of the flowers, which we compared with pohutukawa, Metrosideros excelsa.   A lovely, older, northern rata / Metrosideros robusta at 1 Laery St. gave us a particularly fine display of flower, and we saw three more in Pharazyn St., from the western stop-bank.   From there we noted the sad sight of the Daly St. rata continuing to decline because of the building constructed around the trunk it 2 – 3 years ago.   (See Submissions, page 6 of December 2006 newsletter for a mention of the latest letter BotSoc has written to Hutt City Council about this matter.)

We stepped out again from the start point, this time to the west, noting rata in full, floral display in Penrose St, Leighton Ave and Waiwhetu Rd, the latter being a magnificent, protected tree.   At this juncture, the inclement weather, typical of this year, set in, and we retreated to Uwe’s home for a wellneeded and convivial lunch break.   Here a sub-tropical Feijoa sellowiana – named after the Brazilian botanist de Silva Feijo – had some flowers which we compared with rata, a member of the same family.   The rain ceased and we went out towards the marae and the whare waka where we saw several more street specimens From nearby we studied through binoculars several more rata on the eastern hills which must have benefitted from the interest of local residents in trapping possums.   Sheena’s eagle eye was very useful here.

We then headed back, seeing several more rata en route, in the Waterloo area.   Lynal took a group photo under a cascading rata in Kings Crescent, and Barbara expanded on the differences between our native ngaio, Myoporum laetum, and the extensively planted Australian boobialla, Myoporum sp., with which it hybridises.   Chris described other examples of the native flora.

Participants : Rita Chin, Vera Ellen, Dave Holey, (leader / scribe), Chris Horne, Sheena and Stuart Hudson, Lynal Hurley and (four-legged) “Flossie”, Marianne Jenner, Graeme and Carolyn Lyon, Barbara Mitcalfe, (deputy leader), Uwe Morgenstein, Ros Reid and Zoe Smith.