katrina_muir's Journal

We parked at Worsleys Road cark park and walked down Faulkners Track then along the South Boundary Track then up Watlings Track then along the Trig V path and back to the Worsleys Road car park.

Jasper came with me today so I could not stop too long to take pictures. The path was very zigzag, rocky and muddy in places. Beautiful views over Governors Bay.

New finds

Asplenium flabellifolium

Veronica lavaudiana
I was very happy to see this but my companion was unimpressed and wanted to get back to the car.

Polystichum oculatum

Macrostidia reducta
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018788244
I have been looking out for the fishy pouch fungus since being shown it at the Tupari reserve by members of the Canterbury Botanical Society. Thanks Jerry Cooper for adding the correct id.

https://my.christchurchcitylibraries.com/ti-kouka-whenua/ohinetahi/
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350288745/fire-resilient-planting-initiative-launched-summit-road-society-protect-port

An early morning walk to see the sunrise and moonset.

We walked from the sign of the bellbird along the crater rim walkway and then up to Mt Ada. After walking to the top of Mt Ada and taking in the view we walked back down and around the top of Ōhinetahi bush reserve and back to the sign of the bellbird.

New plants I haven’t seen or noticed before -

Pelargonium inodorum growing underneath burnt gorse. Thank you joknight_nz for the id.
Genus Wahlenbergia growing in a sunny spot below Bivvy rock. I had no idea what this was, even the INaturalist suggestions was not helpful. Thanks david_lyttle for the help.
Azorella hookeri which is in the family Apiaceae.

I’m starting to take more notice of lichens. I’ve learned that they are a fungi but they need an algae and/Cyanobacteria to form a symbiotic relationship with to provide sugars for the fungi. The photosynthetic partners are called photobionts.

Cass Peak is historically known to local Māori as Ō-Rongo-Mai, the place where voices are heard.

The name is illustrative of the bloody pre-European history of the hills that ensued with the North Island Ngāi Tahu invasion of the area 300 years ago.

According to legend, Ngāi Tahu warriors led by Te Rakiwhakaputa slaughtered a hunting party from the Ngāti Māmoe Pā of Mānuka (situated on the plains side of the range), after detecting their presence in the area by the sound of their voices.

This area is now a reserve covered in native bush. This information is from the Christchurch City Libraries website.

There is a radar and communications dome on top of Ōrongomai that is used for tracking aircraft and radio communications.

I parked at the car park for Sign of the Bellbird then wandered off around Ōrongomai/Cass Peak. It is very peaceful there with a lot of diversity of plant life. I could hear people talking occasionally I think they were cycling or walking/running on the Summit Road. There are some rocky and slippery places along the path.

There are some statuesque Tōtara and I am fond of the Fuchsia excorticata/Kōtukutuku.

The rock faces are well worth a close look and are covered in a myriad of plant life.

I found a small patch of Ranunculus reflexus, Maruru. I have never seen before.

I am not sure if I identified the Biddy-bid correctly, I think it is Acaena novae-zealandiae because of the dark green, shiny top of the leaf (adaxial).

After walking around Cass Peak I reached the Summit Road then walked up the road to look at the radio and communications dome.

As I was walking back to the car park there was a mature Pennantia corymbosa, kaikōmako. I was glad to see this because I have mostly seen only the juvenile plants with the different foliage, and as I was taking a picture I saw a Kererū sitting high in the tree.

I went for a walk today at the Adventure park while my husband rode his bike. If you walk to the top you can get the chairlift down for free. It takes about one and a half hours. I did not take many observations because I could not take all day. It was not a good feeling to realise that I am occasionally scared of heights while halfway down the chairlift by myself. From the chairlift I saw large patches of banana passionfruit and old man's beard that did distract me from the fear of falling to my death. I met up with my husband at the Adventure park cafe, he was easy to find in the crowd because of his green hair. The chips were good. I do hope the Adventure park has a plan to remove the invasive plants.

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/new-zealand/canterbury/mount-dumblane-track

https://tewaihora.org/about-the-lake/kaitorete-spit/

https://www.selwynconnect.co.nz/new-zealand/southbridge/activities/cooper-s-lagoon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coopers_Lagoon_/_Muriwai

A chilly, sunny and windy day.

The ground was wet and slippery in places due to the rain earlier in the week and fallen leaves.

The first interesting thing we found was small bonnet mushrooms growing at head height as an epiphyte in Fuchsia excorticata

Anaphalioides bellidioides which I have not seen on Banks Peninsula before

Cortinarius rotundisporus mushroom - Common name - Elegant blue webcap

A lichen- I think in the family Lobariaceae growing on the volcanic rock, lime green with white undersides

Today I used the tramping poles my husband bought for me they were helpful on the slippery ground and walking uphill. My physiotherapist also recommended that I use them as I broke my radius bone head in my arm earlier this year and it would be good exercise and stop my hand from swelling up on long walks.

A Sunday morning walk in Omahu Bush Reserve

Grey and cloudy

There was

A lichen with long pale stems and delicate antler shaped branches
INaturalist suggested it to be in the Genus Stereocaulon - foam or snow lichens

Raoulia glabra
Growing on a bank. I did not know what it was until Inat gave the answer. It may not be correct.
A diminutive treasure

White climbing rātā, Metrosideros diffusa
Growing up a Pseudowintera colorata and a rocky bank
I did misidentify this as Metrosideros perforata. Metrosideros perforata has fine glandular spots (especially evident on leaf undersides) and rounder leaves.
I would like to see it when in flower as it was wide spread in this area

Myrsine australis, Māpou
An endemic shrub in the family Primulaceae
Bright red twigs bearing wavy yellow-green leaves

Blechnum penna-marina, little hard fern

I will look out for Raoulia glabra next time I am in this area and must remember to bring my book about ferns to help me identify and learn.