Opepe Scenic Reserve is a Bush Lover’s Paradise

Forest and Bird, Issue 156, 1 May 1965, Page 15

Opepe Scenic Reserve is a Bush Lover’s Paradise

By

W. Cuming

Though members from the Turangi camp had little time to enter the bush at Opepe Scenic Reserve after visiting the historical graves site and hearing the story of the area, they were able to note many varieties of trees, shrubs, and ferns from the roadside. The reserve contains many fine specimens of Dacrydium cupressinum (rimu), Podocarpus to tar a, P. hallii, P. ferruginous, P. spicatus (matai) and P. dacrydioides (kahikatea), and huge spreading Griselinia (broadleaf), with a wonderful array of epiphytes on every branch. Weinmannia racemosa. (kamahi) and Fuchsia excorticata, the lovely Carpodetus serratus (putaputaweta) and Pennantia corymbosa (kaikomako), Olea, Plagianthus betulinus, Elaeocarpus hookerianus (pokaka), E. dentatus (hinau), and a host of other small trees and shrubs make this a botanical and a bush lover’s paradise.

The floor of the forest is covered with many varieties of ferns and orchids. The pungas Dicksonia squarrosa and D. fibrosa are growing in numbers. Many species of Blechnwm, Hypolepis, Aspleniuni, Mecodium, Glychenia, Polysticum, Histiopteris, and Rumohra are there with other specimens also among them.

Recently a visit was made to the bush to look for Dactylanthus and the vegetable caterpillar and under Mr. E. S. West’s guidance we were fortunate enough to find a colony of Dactylanthus taylori coming into bud and some fine specimens of vegetable caterpillar, with a Gastrodia orchid growing close by.

The bush contains several species of orchids, Dendrobium cunninghami, Earina mucronata, and E. autumnalis, all perching plants, and Pterostylis banks!, a ground orchid.

Birds are there in good numbers, especially in spring and autumn. When the fuchsias are in flower there is a chorus of tuis and bellbirds. Pigeons, busy little whiteheads, whiteeyes, fantails, grey warblers, and tomtits and the occasional rifleman sing and feed among the trees.

It is unwise to penetrate too deeply into this reserve without a compass, as it is crossed by deep gullies which quickly confuse the unwary. A walk parallel with the road gives an idea of the size of some of the trees and the variety which this reserve contains.