Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => Travel / Places to Visit => Topic started by: kiwi on November 03, 2013, 02:32:10 AM
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Went for my first walk for the flowering season, my daughter Sam dragged me up Foggy Peak and on to Castle Hill!
Seen a few nice plants so thought it was time for a new NZ Alpine thread!
1. Looking up Foggy Peak, Castle Hill ridge lies beyond the snow patch.
2-3-4. Ranunculus haastii.
Rest stop on Foggy Peak.
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1-2. Ranunculus monroi.
3-4. Kelleria dieffenbachii.
5. Carmichaelia crassicaulis.
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1. Melicytus alpinus.
2. Silver form of Celmisia viscosa.
3. Ranuculus haastii and admirer...
Next weekend, 3 days in the Mount Cook National Park, stay tuned....
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Wonderful photos, Doug … hope to see a few of these beautiful things myself over the next few weeks. We have been to Milford Sound today, the sun shone, the sand flies were in fine form and Ranunculus lyallii was in magnificent and profuse bloom just before the Homer Tunnel. Had a fabulous time - back in Te Anau now with an ice-cream, a coffee and the anticipation of a great meal and a beer or two to come. It's a hard life pretending to be a lecturer!!! LOL.
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Hi Cliff,
Great to hear you have been into our Ranunculus!
Look forward to meeting you and hearing your lecture in Christchurch.
Hopefully we will be able to find something extra special for you to see during your visit....
I would say the Ranunculus haastii will be flowering below the access gate on Mt Hutt at present, just a short drive from Christchurch..... You would also get to see R.crithmiflolius, R. monroi, a few other buttercups and delicious alpines.
Cheers,
Doug.
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Doug, it is super to see a young person enjoying the outdoors - you must be proud of Sam.
Mind you, with such spectacular plants and scenery - what's not to enjoy?!!
Cliff, we're sure you will have a truly marvelous trip - but be careful - we wouldn't want to hear of you suffering a ranunculus overdose - and that is all to easy in those wonderful mountains!
Beer and Ice cream, eh? Yes, I thought your hosts would be taking good care of you!
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Doug, thank you so much for showing us your beautiful
mountains and all these fine flowers.
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Doug, thank you so much for showing us your beautiful
mountains and all these fine flowers.
Can't agree more ! Great plants and pictures Doug !
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Wonderful photos, Doug … hope to see a few of these beautiful things myself over the next few weeks. We have been to Milford Sound today, the sun shone, the sand flies were in fine form and Ranunculus lyallii was in magnificent and profuse bloom just before the Homer Tunnel. Had a fabulous time - back in Te Anau now with an ice-cream, a coffee and the anticipation of a great meal and a beer or two to come. It's a hard life pretending to be a lecturer!!! LOL.
Lucky you ......... 8) ;)
Just two beers Cliff ? ;D
Have a great time there ! and hopefully the buttercups are at his best ...
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Awesome bro . See ya soon
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Let the S.P.A.T begin..... (Suicidal Plant Adventure Tours)
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Beer and ice-cream? Sorry Cliff, expect scones! But after all it will be before lunch.
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Beer and ice-cream? Sorry Cliff, expect scones! But after all it will be before lunch.
You think that will stop him ;D
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...........................and he'll need industrial quantities!
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Wonderful show, Doug ! And what a lovely daughter !!
Thanks for showing !
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...........................and he'll need industrial quantities!
Would that be by the tanker(d) load?
Having a magnificent time down here in buttercup heaven … two lectures down and very few heckles received, just a number of objects thrown and only three persistent groupies so far.
Loving it!!!!
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Enjoy every minute, Cliff - believe me you are lucky to be away from the British weather right now.
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Cliff and Sue have now come and already gone, such a short visit but much MUCH better than none at all. They are a lovely couple and will be most welcome any time they can come back. Only three groupies so far Cliff? Add another. ;D
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Very envious here as the rain comes down and the days shorten - my only consolation is Alan Mark's superb book 'Above the Tree Line'. The New Zealand flora is truly marvellous.
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......................... Alan Mark's superb book 'Above the Tree Line'. The New Zealand flora is truly marvellous.
A super book indeed, Tim. We were lucky enough to receive it from a friend as a gift but it is worth paying money for!
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Fantastic pictures hope to see more buttercups and daisy's cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Lovely pictures, my lucky daughter just arrived to Christchurch to enjoy the whole year in NZ.
Some people met here during Czech Conference. She mentioned no crevices in Botanical Garden.... :o
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I'm sure she will have a wonderful time, Jiri- and it is so good that she already has friends there.
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Hi Jiri,
I have a Czech couple working for me at the moment here in Christchurch, Honza Kocur and Zuzana Slawikova, should your daughter want to catch up / get some information. Also if she is interested in plants and scenery, we are off to Mt Cook this weekend....
Yes it is sad there is no crevice garden in the Botanical Gardens.
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The S.P.A.T expedition team, Toolie, John, Peter, Steve, David L, Samantha and myself headed into the Hooker Valley early Saturday morning in anticipation for Cliff and Sue's arrival in the afternoon. We were hoping to find the stunning Ranunculus hybrids we found on the Christie's visit few years ago, but alas, we couldn't find any despite the excellent flowering season of Ranunculus Lyallii. Cliff and Sue arrived in perfect timing as Mt Cook revealed it's summit from the clouds. After a tour up the Hooker, several beers and then a handfull of Margeretta's we had a cracker of a night, with plenty of laughs and lies going around. It was great to meet you Cliff, I loved your lecture at the NZAGS, the plants and photography was amazing, thank you very much for coming over, I can't wait to get into the Dolomites one day!
Also a big thanks to Steve-O Newell for organising the the Bookers visit and lecture tour, much appreciated from all at the NZAGS! Unfortunately this morning my truck died halfway up the Omarama Saddle, and I had to limp back down the hill and make a slow trip home. Sorry to miss the day up there with you Cliff, great to meet you and Sue. Cheers till we next meet!
Aciphylla aurea, Ranunculus lyallii, Mt Cook.
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Steve and John on a mission to describe a Leonohebe Sp.
The culprit Leonohebe Sp.
A heavenly garden....
The Hooker Glacier.
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Hunting Ranunculus, look for the tiny figure of John, middle left!
Myosotis uniflora in the Tasman Valley.
A mummified gecko back at the hut.
Interesting cloud formation over the Tasman Glacier.
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Pimelea oreophila again in the Tasman valley.
A rock I would love to get airlifted into my garden, showing the artistic scars of glacial movement.
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WOW, thanks for all the pictures, to see Mount Cooke and all the other flowers again is very special. Ann and I intend to visit N.Z again late 2014 so hope we can meet up with you all have no fixed dates yet but a tour round is a definite, cheers Ian the Christie kind.
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Must venture to the South Island. Mount Cook looks amazing.
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Doug, these photos are outstanding! Truly beautiful portraits of the flowers and landscape. A Perfect illustration of the glory of your country.
(What a pity Jean W. and I were unable to find replacement purple leggings for Toolie, though, after he sacrificed them as a boot repair for David L. a few years ago - the sight of his knees is pretty scary........ ::) ;D )
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Thanks very much Maggie and Ian! I look forward to seeing some shots from the weekend from the other guys......
We have some exciting trips planned this season so stay tuned....
Cheers,
Doug.
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Nice work Doug and thanks for your help getting rid of that agave juice . Adding lime certainly helps !!
Cliff and Sue are resting up in Queenstown now and Cliff is helping Jean get rid of some of her gin . Tonic instead of lime apparently .
There were 83 at his lecture today . Although Cliff was saying that this was the start number and he thinks at least 36 made it to the end ;D
Posting a few pictures with the Bookers and some other planty stuff
The craziest pittosporum of them all - P.anomalum
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Cliff and Sue on the new swingbridge
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Ranunculus lyallii below the bridge
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"Look , there's one !! "
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There's even one each...
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Will do a few more tomorrow
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It was a great pleasure meeting Cliff and Sue - at least we found Ranunculus crithmifolius in flower on the Little Omarama Saddle. It is a pity you missed out on seeing it Doug.
A couple of shots in the Hooker valley before Cliff and Sue joined us;
The party; from the left, John Fitzgerald, Dave Toole, Peter Salmond, Steve Newall, Doug Logan and daughter Sam.
Looking down the Hooker Valley ( from near the place where the cover photo of "Above the Treeline" was taken as near as I can tell. I was trying to replicate it but Mt Cook was in the cloud all the time we were there so I took a photo loking down the valley instead)
Ranunculus lyallii growing in profusion in the Hooker Valley
Ranunculus crithmifolius gtowing on the Little Omarama Saddle ( I thought I had better post these images before Cliff copyrights them all we were following each other ftom plant to plant but we kept finding more)
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... and a very happy camper
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Mt.Cook with the characteristic cloud produced by a strong NW wind which made Omarama Saddle a little bit breezy the next day
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Thanks to everyone who came along . It was nice to have a few new faces for the weekend . Looking forward to a few adventures over the coming months .
Nice pictures Doug and David
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By jove, those Ranunculus lyallii are "locally plentiful" in some spots, aren't they? 8)
I suppose the medicinal gin will prevent Cliff from becoming over-excited by them - or perhaps the opposite is true? :-\
Ranunculus crithmifolius is a particular favourite with us- the foliage is so distinctive - plus it will grow in a Scottish trough!
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What a beautiful country. Was Sue saying "I checked the policies before we set off, just a gentle shove should do it"?
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What amazing photos, and what a fantastic experience. The divaricating habit of Pittosporum anomalum is a defence against moa browsing. 8)
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By jove, those Ranunculus lyallii are "locally plentiful" in some spots, aren't they? 8)
Ranunculus crithmifolius is a particular favourite with us- the foliage is so distinctive - plus it will grow in a Scottish trough!
Maggi.
The Ranunculus lyallii were popping up out of the ground all over the place with their leaves unfurling; they die down in winter and emerge again once the snow has gone.
Cliff was very interested to see the Ranunculus crithmifolius in their natural habitat. They grow on the bare ground where the soil has been exposed either by natural processes or by building roads and fences. The soil is a mixture of gravel, clay and silt and not particularly fertile. I gatherfrom his comments he has not been as successful growing them as you.
Here are some more shots on the old moraine in the Hooker Valley; Discaria toumatou, Phyllocladus alpinus and Aciphylla aurea in the foreground.
Aciphylla aurea begining to flower.
Northwest clouds over the Burnett Mountains flanking the Tasman Valley. These cloud formations are indicative of strong northwest winds associated with depressions moving in from the Tasman sea which is what we experienced on Little Omarama Saddle the next day.
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Those lenticular clouds are one reason glider pilots love the area. Ascending the updraught of a mountain wave is an experience no one forgets.
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Really stunning pictures - amazing to see Aciphylla aurea en masse like that, even if rather typical of the family as a whole.
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........... have booked the special amber nectar cheers Ian the Christie kind
That'll be the Manuka Honey, is it , Ian ? ;D ;) :D
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HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! ;D
Walked up Mt Te Kinga last weekend, one of the most steepest Doc tracks I have tramped for a while!
An eight hour return track with some really interesting trees, plants and fungi. It was fantastic to see my favourite plants Giant Rata, Cordyline indivisa and Dracophyllum traversii growing side by side.
Mt Te Kinga (1200 metres) Offers amazing views right through the West Coast coast line.
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Heres the DOC link if anyone is interested.
http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/west-coast/lake-brunner-moana-walks.pdf (http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/parks-and-recreation/tracks-and-walks/west-coast/lake-brunner-moana-walks.pdf)
Celmisia dicolor was everywhere on the tops but the stand out daisy was C armstrongii.
Found this beautiful Orchid, Pterostylis (australis, I think)
Also the stunning cushions of Donatia novae-zealandiae.
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On the way home a glimpse of a daisy led to some nice Celmisa's semicordata and bellidoides, which was growing right in the riverbed, submerged in some places! Good tips for cultivation...
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One last stop to visit a patch of Montigena novae-zealandiae, lucky it was still flowering and already had some seed pods!
I was a little concerned with the spread of the Sedum acre, even at 1000 metres, far from any tracks, this plant is gaining territory. (Stop smiling Steve) Not sure if Montigena can compete with this invasive plant. I weeded a few plants out of the scree from around the Montigena, so it will be interesting to see how bad this scree is next year.
22 days and counting till a week long S.P.A.T trip into the deep South, Fiordland and Eyre mountains with Dave, Steve and Clint.
Can't wait!!! :)
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Lovely pictures, my lucky daughter just arrived to Christchurch to enjoy the whole year in NZ.
Some people met here during Czech Conference. She mentioned no crevices in Botanical Garden.... :o
I know of only one true crevice garden in New Zealand. I could pass along a contact for Lucy or you if you are interested.
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Happy New Year to all our friends (old and new) in New Zealand ... many thanks for such a wonderful visit in 2013.
Doug, super images once again - especially the gorgeous montigena, I would have LOVED to have seen that one.
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Cracking set of pictures Doug, many thanks for posting them.
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As well as general good wishes for a great year for you in 2014, Doug, you know we'll all be hoping for a truly vintage year of great hikes for the S.P.A.T. outings with fine weather and wonderful flowers for you to experience and for us all to share through your kindness. :-*
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That last picture in the first set of cordyline and dracophyllum is so reminiscent of my memories of different plants, but the same scene, in the Cradle Mtn/Lake St. Clair National Park in Tasmania, with Richea scoparia and R. pandanifolia, the difference being a few red splashes from Telopea truncata. Magical scenery.
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Nice training run up Te Kinga Doug . Toolie and I are having weather problems down here . I reckon that as soon as everyone goes back to work in mid-January the weather will clear up . Perfect for extended S.P.A.T trip
Sedum acre gets around by seed in the road gravel and then spreads from there . Will have a go at eradicating it from Central Otago later this month
PS - must dash . Reports of a bad weed (Ranunculus flammula) infesting a lakeshore have just come in . Weedbusters , up , up and away
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Tim, I haven't forgotten the little Hypericum kelleri. You must think I'm totally unreliable, but I thought it might be better to send it, quite a nice little plant now, when your spring is a bit closer But if you can take it now, just say. Would you like some small seedling Richea scoparia as well? I have about 80 at present. It is surprisingly easy to grow, more so than the native dracophyllums in my (limited) experience. One in a pot has reached almost 25cms! No flowers yet though.
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Thanks Lesley - I think that is wise; so far winter has not really set in but it usually does through Jan and Feb. I would like to try Richea scoparia; I had seed years ago from Jim Archibald but it was probably not fresh enough to germinate. I've only ever seen it once or twice in gardens in the UK, though imagine it must grow well in the cooler north and west. We haven't really got the right climate for these fascinating plants from NZ and Tasmania but they are very enticing!
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If I send a few, maybe you have a friend in a cooler part who would like to try with a couple. I think ir's a super plant even without flowers. Jolly prickly though!
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Suicidal Plant Adventure Tours went to new heights this season with an amazing two week tour of the Southern Alps.
I collected Clint from his arrival into Christchurch and we drove through the night to arrive in the Cobb Valley, walking up to the Fenella Hut.
The Chaffey Hut - made traditionally from hand sawn Red beech and rock foundations, this hut has recently been restored.
Thelymitra cyanea
Aciphylla glaucescens
Views of the Cob river and Fenella Tarn.
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Naturally Bonsai-ed Nothofagus trees in the Fenella.
Dracophyllum traversii
Bulbinella hookerii
Aciphylla seed I wasn't going to pick!
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The inquisitive native Robin
Metrosideros species in devine bloom!
Moving down the Alps into the scree's - Lobelia roughii, Stellaria roughii and Lignocarpa carnosula.
Aciphylla aurea.
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Meeting up with Steve and Dave we headed into the Eyre mountains.
Home of the amazing Celmisia semicordata subsp. stricta!
Also another fav of mine C. philocremna.
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Interesting rock formations - felt like "death" watching from top left.
After two days of botanizing the Eyre mountains we headed for Fiordland.
The Gertrude Saddle.
An amazing Ranunculus lyallii
Bulbinella gibbsii.
The saddle with Milford sound in the rear. The model is the famous Mr Jandles...
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Magnificent images, Doug … and congratulations again on your excellent article in the latest 'Rock Garden' No. 132.
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Aciphylla congesta, and Celmisia verbascifolia
Ranunculus sericophyllus
Another stunning Bulbinella gibbsii
Dracophyllum menziesii
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Thanks Cliff, I can't wait to see my copy!!!
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We headed into Mt Burns for a extremely cold and windy day, each photo had to be timed between gusts - it was so worth it!! You will love these Cliff - shame you missed out on these beauties.
Ranunculus buchananii
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2 stunning Celmisia, C. coriacea and C hectorii.
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Aciphylla crosby-smithii, male and female plants.
Leaving Mount Burns and Steve in Tapanui, Clint and I headed up onto the Old Man range for two days....
Celmisia semicordata subsp. aurigans
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Flies hide for cover in Celmisia flower.
Some views from the tops.
Goats eating all our interesting plants......
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A hint of yellow down below some snow melt and bingo!
Ranunculus pachyrrhizus.
Aciphylla simplex.
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Magnificent images, Doug … and congratulations again on your excellent article in the latest 'Rock Garden' No. 132.
We'll echo that!!
M & I
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Magnificent plant - some of the biggest specimens we've seen of some in full flower.
Wasn't Robin C. there too ? I thought both he and Clint were visiting. Please tell me you didn't lose him down a scree......... :o
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Cheers Maggi, Clint and I had a fantastic adventure, along with Dave and Steve.
The weather seemed to clear before us and the plants were still flowering - although we had to work to find good specimens.
Robin didn't make the trip... but he will be gutted he didn't when he hears Clint's stories.... Best trip ever!!!
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Fabulous plants, great scenery, fine mountains! Tell me, is there a NZ equivalent of "Munro bagging"?
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Probably called 'Hillary' bagging! Wonderful to see these field trips.
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I had the most amazing time once again in NZ, thanks to the spectacular scenery, the most amazing plants and especially to the great company I had, my fellow SPAT members, Doug, Dave and Steve! Robin didn't make this time as he had to study for his examens but he sure was more than jealous when I watched my pictures and heard my adventure stories and I couldn't agree more!!!
cheers,
Clint
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The SPAT cave
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Last few views from Mt Burns.... Aciphylla pinnatifida.
How could you not love this character!!!
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Wow fantastic pictures and yes we love Mr Newall good picture, hope you can arrange another adventure when we visit, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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I totally agree. Fabulous pictures. Must venture further afield. My sister in law and her partner have been to stay with us twice, each time for a month, and they've seen more of New Zealand than we have. ::) Mind you, they've been here on holiday. :-\ Reading "Moa" by Quinn Berentson and "Above the Treeline" by Alan F. Mark makes me realise what a diverse country New Zealand is and what you can find when you look.
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Wow fantastic pictures and yes we love Mr Newall good picture, hope you can arrange another adventure when we visit, cheers Ian the Christie kind
Adventures are what the S.P.A.T. Consortium specialise in; you should be careful what you wish for.
Pleased to hear you are coming for another visit and look forward to catching up and showing you the Christie inspired crevice garden.
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Hello, well that is something very special to look forward to and everything else is a bonus, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Anthony, why don't you come down this way for a few days in November when Ian (of the Christie kind) and Ann are here again? Plenty of beds on offer.
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Ian, you know you can always count on us for an adventure or two..... ;)
Talked my Brother into a walk up Mt Cheeseman, unfortuantly he forgot his boots and had to walk up the mountain in his Jandles. (I mentioned that jandles were the preferred footwear of our famous Mr Newall, so he said he'd give it a shot)
A nice Gentianella corymbifera.
Mountain Grasshopper - Brachaspis nivalis
If you were wondering what happened to Dave Toole, I think I found him taking a nap.....
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Nice day for it Doug .
That Toolie ! I've caught him napping too
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Hello, well that is something very special to look forward to and everything else is a bonus, cheers Ian the Christie kind
I will investigate the possibility Lesley. Thanks for the offer. My current contract runs out in July, so much depends on keeping up with paid work. I have been so lucky with my current school as various teachers (first physics, then chemistry) left for various reasons, the last two on maternity. Alas, the two biology teachers are male. Strangely, although I been working there less than two years, I find myself the second longest serving teacher (of 6) in the science department! The technician (from Greenock) has been there 10 years, when the school opened, and senior physics teacher (from Glasgow) 3 years.
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Hello again some more super pictures be sure you will have no time to take a nap when we are over unless we all over indulge in the amber liquid look forward to the visit, cheers Ian the Christie kind
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Aye , by the sound of that we maybe having a nap or two Mr.Christie