Need Help From New Zealand Friends

[WDH]

I the opportunity to visit New Zealand to benchmark the logging and hauling systems.  While there, I had the opportunity to visit the Abel Tasman National Park.  Took a water taxi and did a long hike through the coastal native forest.  It was quite an experience!  Saw a bunch of trees that I did not know.  There was one small tree/shrub that was very unique and I am hoping some of our NZ members might know what it is.  It was prickly with a very hard wooden cone-like fruit.




 

[Ianab]

Took a bit of tracking down as it doesn't grow around here, and it's an introduced Aussie weed, not a native plant.

prickly hakea, aka  Hakea sericea

http://www.ebop.govt.nz/weeds/Weed277.asp

Normal policy is to attack it with a chainsaw, I guess they just haven't got to those ones yet 

I would imagine the NZ forest looked very different to what you are used to, popocarps instead of pines and all the hardwoods are evergreen. Very different look to the forest.

Cheers

Ian

[WDH]

You bet it was different.  The tree ferns were amazing.  I felt like I was in the Cretaceous Period.   Almost expected a T. rex to reach around one of these tree ferns and snatch me up.    I will post a few more pics of what I saw when I get a chance.  NZ is the most beautiful place I have ever been! 

[WDH]

I loved the tree ferns:




 

Also, California redwood grows very well in NZ.  Here is a pic of a grove in Rotarua planted in NZ over 100 years ago. 




 

My favorite tree that I saw in the native forest was Rimu.  However, I don't have a pic.  Is Rimu a popocarp?

[Ianab]

Is Rimu a popocarp?

Yup, the podocarps grow here similar to the cedars and redwoods in the Nth American forests.

This is a rimu in my garden, needs a few more years yet though 



This thread has a few more rimu and NZ forest pics
http://www.forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=18172.0

Cheers

Ian

[WDH]

Awesome pics in the thread.  Thanks, Ianab