Evening Adventures in Southland

One of the great things about enduring long drives in New Zealand is that they are often packed with fantastic views of both land and wildlife. On a recent work trip I found myself with a couple of evenings to spare in Southland which is the region at the South Island's southern tip.

Southland is a varied region of endless agricultural pasture mixed with stunning pristine forest.

On the first of my evenings I went to visit Bluff which is a sleepy little town on a small peninsula and marks pretty much the most southerly point of mainland New Zealand. Bluff is battered on all fronts by howling wind and rain. Its currents are treacherous and have claimed many a ship that underestimates its ferocity. The climate here, however windy is virtually frost free and is home to many interesting native plants.

One of the first plants to grab my attention on the way to the tip of Bluff is a scattering of that fabled horticultural enigma - Cordyline indivisa.

The coastline around Bluff is made up of huge boulders onto which crash enormous waves but within metres, the thick forest canopy descends onto them and creates a most striking combination.

Even on such windy and salt laden footings as this, Dicksonia squarrosas are scattered in small groves. They are not atall luxuriant but then again, squarrosa seems to be the most adaptable and variable of the NZ tree fern species.

There are low growing ground ferns everywhere and no fern is better adjusted to this salty exposure than Blechnum blechnoides. Its common name is the Coastal Hardfern and I really need say nothing more! Its characteristic of Blechnums; once divided fronds can be seen here alongside Asplenium obtusatum (centre of pic).