New Zealand trip Day 5 - Hinewai to Springfield

Day 5 began with a farewell drive out of Akaroa up steep Long Bay Road, which overlooks the harbour from the ridgeline of the old volcanic crater rim. Spectacular. Our destination was Hinewai, a reserve in the SE corner of Banks Peninsula, which is owned by a trust dedicated to the protection and restoration of native vegetation. The reserve sits on the eroded outer flank of the Akaroa volcano. Visitors are welcomed under strict guidelines. We chose a walking track that starts in forest and passes through four waterfalls, then climbs steeply back to the top. A very energetic 3 hours.

Start of the track

The native bush is slowly regenerating under management practices which turn the gorse, broom and bracken infestations to advantage by allowing them to act as as nurse canopies for emerging native species. Eventually these shade out the weeds.

The larger part of the walk was through deep ferny forest.

The manager, Hugh Wilson is a well known NZ environmentalist. Many informative signs explained about the vegetation and the philosophy of the place.

 This is the unusual lancewood - juvenile form

Hugh evidently does not like finding tissues on his tracks. We were very careful not to drop any.

There are more than 60 species of fern. I started making a photo collection of different NZ ferns. Ferns are what I remember best from my last trip to NZ, over 35 years ago.

Ghost Falls

Weed or native? Gorgeous cerulean blue.

Lunch at Boundary Falls, our turn around point.

Start of the climb back up. I confess I had several tantrums on the way down to the effect that my aged joints and muscles should go no further in case they couldn't haul me back up. David just patiently encouraged and managed me, no doubt calling on his teaching experience. I made it, just like he said I would.

Back on the road - snow tussock on higher open ground near the crater summit.

Volcanic debris field

On the clayey, moist southern slopes, the sheep make these characteristic tracks. We saw them everywhere.

After Hinewai, we headed west through the Canterbury Plains, via inland Scenic Route 72 through the Selwyn district, a rich agricultural area with wineries, artisan food producers and lots of farms bounded by huge hedgerows. We screeched to a stop at the sign "asparagus" and bought a big crisp fat bunch picked that morning from the farmer himself. He was keen to tell us his life story, so perhaps he doesn't have a lot of visitors.

The hedgerows are mainly tall conifers but we saw all kinds of things used, including eucalypts. Tall, straight, vigorous, tidy, healthy looking eucalypts. Perhaps, like the possums, they find mild NZ much to their liking.

Artesian bore irrigation - hard to believe they need it, but there you are.

Smylie's Hostel in Springfield is famous for its hospitality. They really were lovely people, the owners. This is their pet pig Kuna, who is short, fat, very hairy and extremely partial to slices of white bread. We had a deep and restful sleep and left the next morning, oblivious to the fact that David's mobile was still there, plugged into its charger. Eventually got it back a few days ago, by post. Thanks Smylie's!