Quarterly Newsletter

Forest and Bird, Issue 136, 1 May 1960, Page 6

Quarterly Newsletter

CANTERBURY BRANCH

The second half of our season’s programme opened with a trip along the Akaroa Summit Road to the Otepatotu Scenic Reserve. There are really three separate reserves here, totalling just over 98 acres. We visited the two largest blocks (37 acres and 56 acres), walking up the grass road that divided them. These blocks contain a wide variety of native trees, and are notable for the large number of totaras growing there, including many young ones along the fringe of the bush. The remaining part of the reserve consists of only 5 acres, about two miles back along the road. A total of 250 persons was present, including a number from the surrounding bays. Mr. H. E. Hart led the party and indentified the wide variety of native shrubs and trees seen en route. 'ln addition to the excellent bush, members were rewarded with outstanding views of Akaroa Harbour and the Eastern Bays. On 3 March, Mr. R. Stanley showed colour films of bird and animal life on the Campbell Islands, taken during his sojourn there at the weather station. The next field trip was to the Glentui Stream on 12 March, when five buses were required to convey 180 members to this delightful bush area. Mr. E. G. Turbott was the leader on the day, and all were amply rewarded with the bird life seen and heard, particularly the bellbirds, which are numerous in the heavily bushed slopes along the stream. Our final field trip of the season took place on 9 April, when 230 members in six buses and a number of cars visited the Glens of Tekoa homestead on the Mandamus River, in North Canterbury. An outstanding feature of the trip was the beautiful autumn-tinted trees passed on the journey, and the run of 14 miles along the fringe of the Balmoral State Forest. At our destination, members were taken round the grounds of the homestead, and later, a number walked on, to the “Island Hills” Homestead at the end of the road, the residence of one of our Junior Members, Miss Lesley Shand, who later gave us an outline of the early days of the two runs. This brought to a conclusion a most successful season of field trips, the large numbers attending being proof of the increasing interest in the Society in Canterbury, and being a tribute to our energetic Secretary-Organiser, Mr. Ivan Gray.