Variety of Trips and Activities at Bushy Park Summer Camp

Forest and Bird, Issue 192, 1 May 1974, Page 25

Variety of Trips and Activities at Bushy Park Summer Camp

1 1 TWENTY-SEVEN members attending the summer camp at Bushy Park in January enjoyed a variety of trips and activities. One long day was spent in the Turakina Valley, where three reserves of native forests owned by the Society were visited in turn. These reserves, known as McPherson, Sutherland, and Laird Reserves, were well protected from wandering animals, though we were told opossums were plentiful. Some very fine trees were growing in the reserves and were wearing a rich abundance of epiphytes to enhance their beauty. Following a good track through Sutherland Reserve we came on some old Maori sleeping pits. In the past the Maoris would come to these forests to replenish their food supplies from the rich abundance of berries and fruits, birds, and eels and other fish in the river. The pits were sited on a ridge to keep them warm and dry in winter. They were most interesting, with a strong atmosphere of the past, and the site commanded a magnificent view of the heavily wooded valley below. Splendid Tracks It was always a joy to wander at will along the splendid tracks in the homestead forest of Bushy Park. As this covered some 220 acres containing huge forest trees—rata, in particular, tawa, pukatea, and kahikatea—with a rich variety of tree ferns, pigeonwood, matipo, and small ferns forming the lower canopy and forest floor, it was a golden opportunity for bird lovers, botanists, and other people who love forests to indulge their fancy. We were indebted to lan and Margaret Russell’s hospitality and unfailing efforts to make our visit to Bushy Park a memorable one, and on the Sunday afternoon lan led us through a cross section of the forest and back home over open tops on the forest boundary giving magnificent views of the surrounding country. Other highlights which lan and Margaret arranged for our entertainment were an unforgettable hangi, a barbecue, and sing-song; a sixty-fourth birthday celebration for one of us, with a big cake displaying four candles and a 60-watt light bulb; visits to Holly Lodge

Winery and the Kai Iwi cheese factory; and a trip 17 miles up the . Wanganui River on m.v. WaihekaPetrified Totara Forest One morning, led by Phil Rider, we travelled and tramped to the Waitotara River estuary, where there is a remarkable and ancient petrified totara forest. After a boil-up with lunch on the river bank we travelled on to visit the very impressive Waipipi ironsands project on the South Taranaki Bight. We were given a very fine evening lecture on conservation by Dr N. Lambrechtsen, of the National Plant Materials Centre (Ministry of Works), Aokautere, near Palmerston North. Another evening was well spent in organised discussion on such questions as “Private v. State Ownership of all Land” and “Discipline”. On Sunday morning divine worship was shared under the big trees on the lawn below the homestead, and in our spare time there was always gardening to be done, and the big laurel hedge at the end of the drive was barbered from end to end. After a week of sunshine it was raining heavily on the morning of our leaving. It was as though the ancient and stately forest was weeping for our departure. Hildegarde Read and Hilda Blackett Unusual Bird Seen in Kaimai Range A TINY bird thought to be a freak black warbler was seen in the Kaimai Range near Katikati by a party from the Tauranga Section in February. The party, consisting of Mr R. D. Cresswell and four other members, was tramping over the Tahua Track, a former coach road linking Katikati with Te Aroha. Mr Cresswell said that he was able to approach to within about 5 ft of the bird, which he had under observation for 3 or 4 minutes. He first thought that it was a young North Island tomtit because it had some small patches of white, but when he made a check with authoritative publications later, he thought that they seemed to confirm that the bird must have been a freak offspring of the grey warbler.