Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga, and the pohutukawa tree "Kahika", the stepping off place for spirits near the far northern tip of New Zealand.

More information about Kahika. 

Kauri Forest

Mid-morning sun streams through lowland Kauri Forest.

Waitakere Gorge Kauri

Large New Zealand Kauri trees (Agathis australis) above a bluff in the Pararaha Gorge, Waitakere Ranges near the city of Auckland. Three large trees remain from what would have been a dense Kauri forest prior to pioneer logging during the 19th and early 20th century.

Dense Nikau (palm) trees and tree ferns grow down to the waters edge above a waterfall in the upper gorge.

Hot Summer Days in the Forest

Kauaeranga River in the Coromandel Forest Park is a great place to cool off on a hot Summer's day and even hunt a few interesting rocks.

Summer Rain

Japanese Honeysuckle vine running along a New Zealand Totara tree branch.
This 5 metre (17ft) Totara was struggling under the weight of vine until released.

Japanese Honeysuckle vine flowers, another garden escapee into the New Zealand forests.

Wet waist high grass thrashing in a blustery North Easterly looking out to Waiheke Island from Maungawhau Mountain.

Summer Blooms

Crab Apple bloom in a suburban Auckland garden.

Titoki flowering profusely, this only happens every four years or so.

Ngaio flowering Anawhata, West Coast, Auckland.

Tuhua at sunset, (Mayor Island) from Waihi Beach, East Coast Bay of Plenty.

Rampant early summer weeds

Re-establishing native trees in northern New Zealand pits ecologists against some very strong growing garden escapees. 

Below are the weeds, Mexican daisy with Kikuyu grass, and Convolvulus vine in a dense one metre high tangle. Now is a good time to start treating weeds prior to planting native plants this Autumn.

Mexican Daisy and choking friends.

New Zealand flax, Harekeke, with two metre flower spike opening for nectar delivery to birds.

Harekeke flower spike