Kapiti Coast

This past weekend, I attended my latest native plant identification class, which took me to the Kapiti Coast. This area is to the Northwest of Wellington, about an hour’s drive. The scenery on the way is really nice. The coastline is jagged, with large waves crashing against the rocks. As you move north, Kapiti Island can be seen across the channel and the beaches become less rugged. Due to the geography, the narrow channel between the mainland and Kapiti Island is much more tame. The water is calmer, and the beaches are safe for swimming. So, this is a popular spot for many beachlovers in the Summer.

Our first destination was the Nikau Palm Reserve, just north of Paraparamou. This area is known for, you guessed it, the Nikau Palms. This is New Zealand’s only native palm, and is the southernmost species of palm in the world. As you can see, it’s an attractive (Kiwis call it “tidy”) palm that would look great in any garden. But, it should be noted that they grow VERY slowly, taking a couple decades to reach maturity. So plant one now if you want to see it as a tree!

The next stop was Hemi Matenga Nature Reserve. This area is managed by the NZ Department of Conservation and is in a narrow valley on the hill slopes overlooking Waikanae. The area is shielded from harsh winds and cooler temperatures, allowing for very lush growth that looks and feels like a tropical rainforest. Vines, young Nikau palms, epiphytes in the treetops, and huge ferns are abundant. A creek flows down through the track, making for a very scenic walk.

The next stop was Nga Manu Nature Reserve. This park contains a blackwater swamp filled with many native birds, fish, amphibians, and plants. We toured the boardwalks and I stopped to visit two Kaka parrots kept in captivity. They are quite tame, and immediately upon entering their little house, the birds land on your shoulder (or your head!) and start grooming and kissing you. Pretty hilarious. They would not get off of me, either. I had to coax them onto another person’s shoulder. So, they are not to be missed. But the park also has a nocturnal house where you MIGHT get a glimpse of a Kiwi, as well as Tuatara, a primitive lizard-like reptile. Both are extremely rare in the wild, and the reserve is participating in repopulation programs with other institutions. Lastly, depending on how squeamish you are, be sure to hit the 2:00 eel feeding out in the swamp. These giant freshwater eels start showing up around 1:30, waiting to be fed. A few of them were quite large, maybe 2 meters or so long. Very ugly guys, I have to say.

So, how am I doing on my native plant identification? Not too bad. Some are easier than others, though. Most have long names like kohekohe and kahikatea that don’t exactly roll off my tongue. Maori names are the hardest, and I have not even touched latin names yet. But some “common names” are pretty easy to remember. Take the leaf shown above, for instance, which is from a plant called Bushman’s Friend. It gets that common name from the fact that it has very large, soft leaves that are perfect for…you get the idea.