TRAMPING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21243, 15 August 1934, Page 5

TRAMPING

♦ NEWS FROM CLUBS A NOTE ON BOTANY [By TRAIL.] Many trampers are not good botanists, but all would like to be. It is a great advantage to be able even in a small degree to understand and appreciate the various forms of plant life met during a tramp or climb. Hence these lew notes on the New Zealand beeches, written by a tramper for trampers only. What ore usually known as birches in New Zealand belong to the worldwide beech family (Fagaceae), which includes the birch, alder, hazel, hornbeam, beech, oak, and chestnut. This family is represented here only by five species of the genus Nothoi'agus, which is also found in Australia and South America. In Laing and Blackwell's book, "Plants of New Zealand," there is a very fine description of sunset in a Canterbury beech forest, which will doubtless recall many happy memories to the minds of trampers and other fortunate ones: "It often happens in Canterbury, during a north-west gale, that just before nightfall the sun drops below the heavy curtain of clouds into the clear arch below, and 'at evening it is light' As the level beams are throw.n into the recesses of some sombre bush-clad ravine in the foothills, the sight is one to be remembered for a lifetime. Though quite natural, it seems, from the vividness of its spectacular effects, unnatural. The giant limbs of the trees push forth on all sides with lance-like thrust, and J the interspaces between the widespreading horizontal branches, form pathways by which the shafted light can penetrate far into the bush. The great halls of greenery are revealed in vista after vista, and in the background are seen the brown, dead leaves, that 'lag the forest brook along,' for in these drier districts there is little undergrowth. Over the countless green mosaics of the living branches, with their two-ranked twigs and leaves, the evening sunshine passes, and stirs into activity all the life within, at the same time throwing into relief the infinite detail of tracery and arabesque in bough and bole. The bearded lichens trailing from the branches are almost motionless, though the wind thunders overhead. One side of the valley is in the dimmest twilight, whilst on the other every shoot (lares out in almost garish distinctness. The contrast is a violent one; but it is soon gone, and only Ihe rosy colours of the clouds above remain to break the darkness. With sunset the north-wester always lulls for a short time, and then its roar gives place to the coo-ce of the weka mcl .he melancholy cry of the owl." The popular naming of the diflerent species in New Zealand seems to be in some confusion. Apart from the fact that the tree is not a birch, but a beech, it also appears that what is called white birch in one part of the country is black birch in another. The noted botanist, Mr T. Kirk, writes: 'lt is not too much to say that the blundering use of common names as applied to the New Zealand beeches, when the timber has been employed in bridges and constructive works, has caused waste and loss to the value of thousands of pounds." Perhaps it is not too much to hop.; that a consistent nomenclature will soon be adopted throughout the country. The beech is one of the few trees m New Zealand which forms great forests in which few other plants are to be found. After being cut out beech forests, if left undisturbed by man and animals, soon replace themselves, five speci'es have been distinguished, but when two or three grow together there are also numerous hybrids. Now for the details. Nothofagus Solandn, or black beech, is perhaps the most abundant. It forms immense forests, especially in the drier districts, throughout both islands. On the eastern slopes of the lower Canterbury foothills there is little else to be found in the forests. A Well-known example of this type of bush is at Ashley Gorge. The tree grows to a height of 100 feet and has a trunk four to live feet in diameter. The bark is white in young and black in old trees. The leaves are a quarter of an inch to threequarters' of an inch long. Nothofagus Menziesii or silver beech grows only on the higher parts of both islands. It is most common in Southland. It is a large tree growing to a height of 80 to 100 feet, with silvery bark. It has strong, dark green leaves. Nothofagus fuoca or red beech is less common and found mainly in wetter situations. It is very rare in Canterbury, but is found in small quantity on the Peninsula. The bush at Mount Grey is partly composed of this sp'ecies. It grows to 100 feet in height, and has leaves about one inch long. Nothofagus truncata or hard beech is a somewhat similar species found in Nelson and Wellington. Nothofagus ciifforUoides or mountain beech is a sub-alpine species coming down to sea-level only in south-western Otago. The Castle Hill bush on the Craigieburn range consists of this species. It is a much smaller tree than the others, but in other respects rVsembles the black beech. Its young plants are one of the few types of native plants that change the colour of their leaves in winter, showing varying shades of rusty brown and bronze.

The forests at Oxford and _A^ Forest consist almost entirely of Black beech; at Mount Torlesse and the head of the Kowai, of mountain beech. The Maori names ar'a as follows:—Silver beech, tawai or tawhai; red beech, tawhai-rau-rui; black beecn, tawhai-rauriki. Governor-General to Attend Function j The keen interest that the GovernorGeneral, Lord Bledisloe, takes m tramping is shown by his request to i attend the Youth Hostel Association s gathering on Friday evening. This. function was originally to be held in the Builders' Chambers, but in view of the Governor-General's visit, it willnow be held in the Jellicoe Hall. Theil Excellencies will be present until 9 o'clock, alter which a very pleasant programme of dancing has been arranged. Invitation cards have been sent to all club secretaries, or may be obtained from the secretary of the publicity and entertainment committee, Miss N. G. Collett, Box 812. A Lone Tramp In the six hours available between excursion trains, a member of the Canterbury Mountaineering Club last Sunday made a solo ascent of a peak on the north-eastern extremity of the Craigieburn Range. Leaving the train at Cass at 'll a.m., the route for the first 40 minutes was across flat country to the Cass river behind the Grassmero Station. Ascent was by the spur which, has its highest point in a hill called Romulus, beyond which a small saddle was crossed to the steep slopes of the Craigieburn Range itself. Above the tussock level, patches of snow made easy travelling, but these were soon succeeded by about 500 feet of very loose scree, the slope of which was so steep that animal-like progression on hands and feet was called for. A strong, cold nor'-west wind was encountered on the broad weathered Craigieburn ridge leading to the Baldy Hill trig (56t>7), which was reached at 1.15 p.m. A further 40 minutes took the climber to the summit of a rocky peak which lies a short distance beyond, and about feet higher than Baldy Hill. From this peak (not named on the survey map, but its height is given as 5996 feet) a view, which Justified all-round photography, was obtained. For the benefit of those interested in the features of the district a detailed description of the view is given. Towards Arthur's Pass the view was obscured by the bulk of Mount Misery, to the right, the Polar Range peaks appeared against a background of nor'-west clouds. The lower course of the llawdon river could be traced, but the peaks at its head were hidden. Andrews stream, Hallelujah Flat and the valleys of the Casey stream, Upper Poulter, and Thompson stream could be picked out. The Mount White Station, Lake Letitia. the Pukeleraki Range, the sea through the Townshend Saddle, Mount Oxford, the Peninsula Hills, Lake Pearson, and Mount St. Bernard in the foreground, the Torlesse peaks, the Castle Hill (Treiissiek), Basin, the sea showing through the saddle beyond Lake Lyndon, the peaks of the 16-mile long Craigieburn Range, including the outstanding peak of Olympus, Mount Gargarus with a glimpse of the Wilberforce river, the outlines of the individual Arrowsmith peaks, and the [leaks of the Black Range and Mount Murchison (Upper Waimakariri) were successive points in the extensive panorama. Leaving the summit at 2 p.m., quick time was made on the descent, the Cass Railway Station being regained at 4 p.m., one hour before the train was due to arrive. The account of this climb is given, not because of its difficulty or importance, but to illustrate that the intermediate stations between Springfield and Arthur's Pass offer many pleasant tramps and climbs between trains when one lias exhausted the trips available at the pass. » A Suggestion An idea which may be commended to all clubs was introduced on the Railway Department's trip last Sunday. The Peninsula Club leader, Mr S. C. Anderson, carried a pennant, by means of which the 650 trampers who took part were signalled along the correct route. The idea was suggested by Mr W. A. Croft, of the Railway Department.. !