Puketi Forest to Doubtless Bay

Last night was chilly and damp. I had to run the gas furnace until bedtime. When I awoke this morning, the sun was shining and the sky was blue. So I decided to re-do my walk in Puketi Forest. It was much nicer with some sunlight filtering down through the trees than it was in the rain. I did about 2 hours of walking, then I began my day’s journey North. I wanted to go to Doubtless Bay which was about an hour and a half drive. It was a nice drive through attractive countryside in the warm sunshine. Doubtless Bay gets its name from a log book entry in Captain Cook’s log book when he first sailed here in the 1770’s. The notation was that large body of water was “Doubtless a Bay”. That was sort of stating the obvious, but I imagine he was running out of witty log book entries by this time. So the name stuck, and here I am to confirm that it indeed doubtless a bay.


The ferns look nicer with some sunlight on them. New Zealand must be the Fern capitol of the world.


This is a Kauri Tree. They are huge, and much like the Redwoods and Sequoia’s in the US, they were nearly logged into extinction. They are now protected in the few areas where they remain. They aren’t quite as tall as a Redwood or Sequoia, but they have similar girth. They are also very long lived. Some of the remaining trees are 2000 years old.


Lots of trees have “hitch hikers” living along the sides of their trunks and in the crooks of branches.


Tree Ferns are as tall as Palm Trees and make a canopy that looks like green lace.


The forest is sub-tropical and very dense.


More Ferns.


A large grove of ancient Kauri Trees.


Looking out into Doubtless Bay.


Another view of the bay.


I’ve been seeing a lot of Pampas Grass, an invasive species from South America.


It’s early Spring here, so lots of blooms.