We had a wonderful day touring the Kaikoura Eastcoast, Ure Valley. This is the area that Will lived and farmed for twenty years.

We stopped of at the high country hut for a picnic lunch and were treated to the song of the shining cuckoo, a spectacular bird. Also bell bird chicks.

We were in search of the illusive blue duck or whio and had a lovely short walk at the Ure River, one of Marlborough’s most popular walking spots.

No sign of Blue Duck but we did enjoy the flora on display at the towering limestone bluffs. In particular heliohebe hulkeana, a native flower that has purple flower sprays that hang down in fragrant drifts.

We finished with a delicious meal of fresh scallops at the East Coast Inn. Great day in Marlborough!

What a fabulous year 2011 is turning out to be. Just returning from a family wedding in Florence, we have rediscovered the magic that is living in this part of the world (New Zealand) and Marlborough in particular.

After a fabulous time with family and making new friends it is back to the work I love. There are native seedlings to be planted in our wetland and existing plantings to be checked and released of weeds. We plant one native (endemic) tree for every tour we take with Driftwood Eco Tours. However thanks to the Council Environmental fund and all the help of enthusiastic people such as Nicky Eade and Paul Millen we have been able to exceed this.

The eradication of exotic crack willows is now evident and the slow work on willow seedlings will be on going.

Just prior to our travel we had the honor of attending the Marlborough Community Environment Awards as nominees. Our congratulations to all the winners and nominees whom we enjoyed meeting over a lovely meal at Dryland’s superb   restaurant.

We have had enquiries from all around the world about kayaking tours as well as hiking and 4×4 tours for 2011 and 2012. We look forward to sharing our slice of paradise with these future friends. Until then we will keep the coffee hot.

Here is a picture gallery of our home and wetland.

We also had a memorable visit to Yealand’s winery with tastings and a nice casual chat with Peter. All in all this was a fascinating day with a lovely family who appreciated every minute and as they say “sweet as”.

Isolation Mountain becons as we appraoch “the Zoo”.

The limestone bluffs of this area are particularly suited to the Brachyglottis monroi whose distribution is Marlborough and North Canterbury coastal to subalpine. We were fortunate that it was in full flower during our visit.

Above: Brachyglottis monroi

We took a short hike into up the Kekerengu River, Kaikoura and were rewarded by water falls, ferns and bird song. ‘Natures garden.’

A fern that we have identified as Blechnum fluviatile grows happily on it’s rock island.

An unidentified moss also growing on a rock by the stream. Any suggestions are most welcome!

We wind our way toward the forest reserve with Mount Isolation in the background.

The forest in this area was open and dominated by New Zealand Beech trees an easy track led us into it’s interior.

The fern that we have identified as Blechnum discolor grew to an impressive size as show here.

Some of the trees we encountered on our walk where immense like this enormous moss clad specimen below.

Will identifies the beautiful native tree Totara by it’s rough strip like bark. A Totara is shown above and below.

The native tree below is a Rimu identifable by it’s watermark underbark.

Below: We encountered a Matai tree. The close up photo shows the characteristic ‘hammer mark’ bark which is also present in the Miro but is less embossed.

We were suprized by this fungi growing on the side of a beech tree. If you can identify this please send a comment on the link below so we can all share it.

This strange find in the leaf litter is an Aseroe rubra or Stink Horn. They smell quite unplesant for the purpose of attacting flys for spreading it’s spores which are in the brown stuff. It was roughly the size of golf ball in circumference.

Below: A Coprinus lagopus. A beautiful almost see through fungi.

Our bird caller soon attracted a pair of lively Toutouwai or New Zealand Robins (Petroica australis). They are very inquisitive birds and have been known to hop onto a hiker’s boot to pull at the boot laces. Mainly insect eaters Robins can dispatch worms and wetas up to a third their body weight.

We observed a pair of Korimakos or Bellbirds (Anthornis welanura) busy feeding insects to their  teenage chick. The chick also appeared to be taking honey dew from the side of the beech tree it was perched on,

Honey dew. Sweet nectar droplets are created by the tiny scale insect (Ultracoelostoma assimile) which lives deep in the bark of South Island beech trees. This insect plays an important role in the forest ecology especially for birds such as the endangered kaka.

The Bellbird chick awaiting it’s next feed.

We had the privilege of overnighting in a musterer’s hut near the Zoo. Tomtits and Bellbirds from the bush nearby came to investigate us while we had our dinner. It turned cold and poured with rain that night but we were as snug as musterers with our little fire place.

And you can’t beat a billy cuppa in the bush!!

Thank you for sharing with us our little trip. If you would like a guided tour to look at New Zealand’s natural wonders please click this link to contact us.

http://www.driftwoodecotours.com/information.php