NZ rainforest Lake Wilkie is a sort of homage to the complexity of our native rainforest, nit the speed at which it grows. The podacarp tress (rimu, matai. miro) which make up the mature trees of the rainforest here, take 500 years to mature and they can't start to grow until there is well-established canopy of smaller trees such as the kamahi.
Step One is the dracophyllum and open country plants
step Two the manukas and shrubs that can tolerate light and wind
Step Three the kamahi, pittosporum and canopy species,
and then Step Four, the podacarp species can begin to grow
After about a thousand years we have a forest.
Lake Wilkie is a superb place to explain this progression as all the stages can be seen there.
I am pleased you enjoyed your visit.
You think your day was hard! You think you've got problems. Gill's just back from school marking books now and is reduced to hysterical laughter. The source I will share.
"Joseph lister is a German killer he made every chrimas horrible by invading the hole World. he invented an antiseptic to make it better After surgey"
(child's grammar, and punctuation!)
Gill has written 'I think you might have got your research mixed up'.
Keep smiling, you could be teaching ten year olds.
Dad
keep the news coming. Have enjoyed reading all your days entries to date. Good to see the photos of the places that you have visited, Olly and his lovely children and especially a relaxed smiling Helen. Thing are all much the same here, not liking these winter evenings and coming home from work in the dark. We are going to be packing our bags tonight ready for our couple of days in Paris with Les and Sylve. Anyway keep enjoying your trip.
Lots of love M+D
mum
non-member comment
sounds like a billiant trip missing you both Mum