Today I visited Smith’s Bush, about 8 kms from where I live, with a couple of Photo friends – Sweety (who is a Sweety… and yes, that is her real name), and Honey (no not her real name, but she, like her hair, is a Honey).

We had lots of laughs, took heaps of photos, of which I’ve had to delete many of them – the bush was quite dark, and the camera settings should have been altered more to suit the conditions. I’ll learn one day!!!

Smith’s Bush is a reserve of a rare remnant of mature native forest. There is a 40-minute nature trail through this native bush that leads past a cathedral grove of giant Puriri trees.

What is strange about this bush is that it does not have a Maori name, and there are no Kauri trees. Kauri trees have been planted there, but none have survived. Also there are no Pohutukawa. The sea would have almost lapped the margin of this forest in the past, but there is no evidence of coastal influence in the vegetation, and no Pohutukawa, which is found just about everywhere else on the coast around here.

The most conspicuous tree is the feathery grey-green Kahikatea (dacrycarpus dacrydioides) .