Wandering My Ancestral Lands

I am very priviledged to have over a thousand years of whakapapa coming from the North Cape area, starting from the various pa around there, meandering through the centuries and down to me. So when I was given the opportunity to go on a field trip to North Cape I jumped at the chance. However the first trip there clashed with me wandering around overseas but Tawhirimatea, who is a great friend of mine, made sure that the work was not finished so another trip was arranged and this time those dates were when I was in Aotearoa, so naturally they worked :)

Being a part of Nature Watch this past year has opened my eyes to all of the things that I have not seen and having my own personal plant guides at home was an added bonus as they made sure that I saw the rarer plants that have made the North Cape their final stronghold.

Here is a small selection of some of the obs from there, and probably plants that you may never see in situ.

Posted on September 28, 2016 07:33 PM by tangatawhenua tangatawhenua

Observations

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

Probably not this because of the stunning red leaves but this is the closest match I could find.

Common all over the place

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

Stunning flowers of the koromiko kitea tahi, so named as seeing it in situ in it's natural habitat is somthing that maybe seen once in a lifetime.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

Small plnat poking it's head out of all of the other plants growing around it.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

Growing out by the edge of the cliffs.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

Not sure if this is the species for this one.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

This is the most beautiful plant of Aotearoa / New Zealand but is nationally critical. Sadly it has been driven out of it's home by possums who view it as a delicacy so it has retreated to the side of steep cliffs where it is hanging on precariously to life.

If this was a cute feathered bird with quirky habits then people would be lining up to save it, like they do for the kiwi, takahe and other other rare endemic birds of NZ.

It should be the national plant of New Zealand as it is a symphony of colour with the yellow, green, white and golden leaves highlighted by the splashes of red flowers which I see as symbolic of all the nationalities that call New Zealand home.

While the Maori for this is Kohuhu tangihua (Kohuhu = pittosporum and tangihua=serpentine) it is interesting to note that "tangi" is in the name - maybe this is because as well as being a serpentine pittosporum it is also crying out for survival.

Photos / Sounds

What

Matthews's Spiral Sun Orchid (Thelymitra matthewsii)

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

Although this is not in flower it was great to see it. The first 2 photos are the same plant while the 3 photo is of an old one and the 4th photo is another plant in the cork screw phase.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

One of the pimelea whanau lurking. Maybe Pimelea orthia?

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Description

Growing on the plateau.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

tangatawhenua

Date

September 21, 2016 01:06 PM NZST

Description

Not photographed in situ

Comments

Pai rawa ōu whakaahua o ngā taonga katoa o tōu tūrangawaewae!

Posted by heni over 7 years ago

He mihi aroha tenei ki a koe mo to korero mahana ki ahau!

Posted by tangatawhenua over 7 years ago

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