TRIP REPORT : Hutt Rata walk

Saturday 8 December 2007

We had a pleasing increase in attendance, helped by publicity in the Hutt News.   It was sunny and warm even at 9.00 a.m.   Across Ewen Bridge we strode and into Victoria St Reserve where we had a close-up view of a young, bushy, northern rata, Metrosideros robusta in good flower.   This was closely peered at, and the comparison drawn with the related pohutukawa, Metrosideros excelsa.   I answered a question from John on the various points of difference.   Further on, the older, Leary St rata put on a good show, though not quite up to last year’s standard.   Then we saw the distinctive, rounded, beehive shape of a large, unrestricted, openly grown northern rata in the Pharazyn grouping.   Back over Ewen Bridge and into Buhla Park, where Rosie spoke to the captivated group about naturally-regenerating, terrestrial rata trees assisted by possum control in Gracefield Scrub, (a forthcoming BotSoc trip).   Nearby, two recent plantings in partial flower should make a growth surge in coming years.

After a short break at the start/finish point, some walkers left the group and two more joined.   We then took another loop to the east, checking rata in Bloomfield, Waterloo and Witako streets and Kings Crescent.   The tree on the berm outside 16 Witako St, one of five growing near each other in this street, gave the best floral display of the day.   On the way back we looked at the attractive, old residence at 44 Pretoria St. where Sir James Hector lived in his later years.

After we had shared a lot of botanical information at an introductory level, pointing out other, thriving, native trees, e.g. rimu, totara, puriri, ngaio, kohuhu, tarata, taupata, akiraho and karaka, the remaining members of a happy group then dispersed.

Participants :   Rosemary Collier, Rosie Doole, (deputy-leader), Paul Duncan, Sylvia Hart (from Hamilton), Jenny and John Hatton, Dave Holey (leader / scribe), Denis and Karen Hooper, Joyce (surname unknown), Marianne Jenner, Leila Lamb, Grenville and Nicole Lee (from France), Chris Merkley (from USA), Merilyn Merrett, Syd Moore (deputy-leader), Frances Potter and four-legged friend; Helena Welle-Chew, Lyn Wright.