New Zealand field trips:Winter 2009

[David Lyttle]

Greetings all,
Last week I visited the Pisa Range in Central Otago. Usually my alpine excursions are in summer but a winter trip can provide an invigorating contrast. During the drive up through Central Otago all the valleys were under fog not quite freeezing but close enough. However once we drove up the hill a bit we emerged from the mist into the sunshine.

Picture 1 shows the Cromwell basin under fog. Below in the mist people are busy pruning grapevines!

Picture 2 is looking across the upper Clutha basin to the Hawkdun Range.

Picture 3 is looking across the Locharburn to the summit of the Pisa Range.

Picture 4 is looking down the Clutha Valley towards the town of Cromwell with the Old Man Range in the distance. The mist is creeping up the Locharburn in the valley below.

Picture 5 shows the small isolated stands of Hall's totara (Podocarpus halli) that are found in the Locharburn. These stands are the remnants of more extensive forests that existed in Central Otago prior to the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand. Much of the forest in the eastern South Island was destroyed by fire in prehistoric times.

Picture 6 is higher up looking south directly down the Locharburn. The red shrubs in the foreground are Dracophyllum pronum with plants of Aciphylla aurea present as well.

Picture 7 is looking towards the north-east into the upper Clutha basin.

Picture 8 shows the crest of the Pisa Range.

Picture 9 shows an optical halo in the mist.

Picture 10 shows the late afternoon sun on the Dunstan Mountains across the valley.

[ranunculus]

Love the colours in image 3084, David ... like early spring on our Lancashire moors. Very evocative. We WILL get over there one day. Many thanks for another beautiful posting and I'm certain that more will follow, but we may not be able to view them for at least a couple of weeks as we are off to the Dolomites later today for another stint as wildflower walk leaders.
Kind regards from the north of England.

[David Lyttle]

Cliff,

I love to visit the Dolomites, maybe one day we both can fufill our dreams.

[Maggi Young]

David, stunning photos to show us the magic of your  country.... thanks! 

[David Nicholson]

Wonderful pics David.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Maggi used the perfect word David !
This is pure magic ! 

Thanks so much for showing !

[Ragged Robin]

David, I agree with Cliff, such a moody landscape and wonderful to see through your field trip photos - were there any winter plants you hoped to see?

[Lesley Cox]

Beautiful landscapes David. I'll bet it's a bit different today though. Many Central Otago roads closed with snow. Some of my fruit vendors won't be at the Market tomorrow.

[David Lyttle]

Yes Lesley,
Considering the weather at the moment I dont think the market will have many vendors or patrons tomorrow morning. There will be a good covering of snow all through inland Otago today. However I will not be there to record it.

Here are some more pictures some with plants in them.

Picture 1 is of Melicytus alpinus the famous porcupine shrub growing over a schist boulder. These shrubs protect their leaves with a cage of spines. This is thought by many to be an adaptation to moa browsing but it seem to be a successful strategy to deter sheep and rabbits now there are no moas.

Picture 2 Aciphylla aurea growing high on the Pisa Range.

Picture 3 is a schist outcrop covered with the alpine lichen Neuropogon ciliatus.

Picture 4 shows a group of Aciphylla aurea plants growing amongst schist boulders.

Picture 5 is of Hebe buchananii.

Picture 6 is Dracophyllum pronum.

Picture 7 is a rock outcrop with totara (Podocarpus hallii) and kanuka (Kunzea ericioides).

Picture 8 shows more totara trees There are also specimens of bog pine (Halocarpus bidwillii) and mountain celery pine (Phyllocladus alpinus) growing amongst the totara.

Picture 9 some nice tors with Melicytus alpinus in the foreground.

Picture 10 is Corokia cotoneaster growing in the lee of a tor.

[David Lyttle]

Last pictures for this posting

Melicytus alpinus chewed by rabbits( could be hares but were most likely to be rabbits as there were a lot about). The leaves remain protected.

The remaining three pictures are of a male tomtit (Petroica macrocephala) that was taking taking an interest in us.

[cohan]

wow--what a fascinating flora you have! really interesting plants, fantastic colours this time of year, and really nicely framed shots, great job!

[Paul T]

David,

Some striking landscapes in there.    The Hawkdun range in the background looks amazing.  Sort of like someone has made a stereotypical painted background.  Absolutely brilliant!!

Thanks for sharing. 

[Paddy Tobin]

David,

As we have come to expect from you - a brilliant report on your mountain wanderings with excellent photographs to illustrate.

Really enjoyed it. Many thanks, Paddy

[David Lyttle]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments: it was one of those rare days in the mountains that I am pleased to be able to share with you.

The dramatic appearance of the Hawkdun Range is due to New Zealand lying astride a plate boundary with the Australian plate colliding with the Pacific plate. The main uplift has created the Southern Alps to the west but further east more mountain ranges (the Hawkduns amongst them) are getting rucked up. These processes are still occurring which makes for very dynamic landscapes (and the occasional earthquake). The present New Zealand landscape is very young in context of geological time. In this respect the New Zealand alpine flora is young as well and is still actively evolving.

[Paddy Tobin]

"the New Zealand alpine flora is young as well and is still actively evolving"

So, just like yourself then!

Paddy