Last weekend I took a small party up the Woodside gorge which is a new addition to Driftwood ecotours guided walks. This area is a botanists delight and features many unique flora. It is also where the K/T boundary was first discovered by Dr. Alex Malahoff.
This rock outcrop is at the entrance to the limestone gorge of the Woodside. It was from here that a pink rock was excavated to build the Wharanui church and later other buildings around Marlborough.
This outcrop is on the northern side, very steep with plants clinging to it precariously.
This is the buttress of a matai tree distinguished by the hammer marks on the trunk. It also has an epiphyte lodged in a crevice of the trunk.
Looking downstream you are amazed by the variety of over hanging trees and shrubs. This gorge is reknown for it’s pink brooms (notospartium glabrescens} with its pendulous branches covered in blossom from early December.
Leafless lawyer (Rubus squarrosus)
Totara are plentiful in this valley and this is a very nice example approx. 25 metres tall. Great war canoes (waka taua) were carved out of single tree. It also produced masses of fruit and the inner bark was boiled and used to control fevers.
Here’s a beautiful example of polished river driftwood reclinning on this large river stone.
Out of the gorge and looking east back down the gorge.
This is a veiw looking south towards the Clarence river. This country is some of the best for sheep and cattle farming. Another great walk lasting approx. 2 hours with relatively easy grades.
To book this tour please click http://www.driftwoodecotours.com/inquiries.php and go to our enquiries page.
A fine example of an Australasian harrier to bid you farewell from Driftwood ecotours.