Otari

We are lucky to live very close to three conservation areas where nature is in the forefront of the picture. There is the BotanicGardens, Zealandia and lastly the subject of this week’s blog, the Otari/Wilton’s Bush Nature Reserve. I have briefly mentioned it in two previous blogs (August 2007 and December 2010) but this is the first time it has had a pictorial posting all to itself.

The reserve had its beginning in the 19^th century when the first European settler, Job Wilton, set aside 7 hectares of bush in 1860. His name lives on in the suburb that was built on what was his farmland. This is part of that original reserve. It has been nicely laid out with tracks and information signs.

The Kaiwharawhara Stream flows from the dam in Zealandia down past the Troup Picnic Lawn and onto to Ngaio Gorge and the harbour.

On the other side of the stream are a number of paths through some lovely bush.

There are remnants of ancient podocarp forest and the famous 800 year old rimu.

Plus a not quite 800 year old human.

We followed the track to the southern end of the reserve and entered the Karori Cemetery. A lot of the pines and macrocarpa that were planted up to 150 years ago have got quite large and are starting to be affected by storms and high winds.

Row after row of graves facing east.

At the edges of the cemetery the bush is trying to take over. You can see how precarious some of the burial sites are on some quite steep slopes.

The return track follows the stream down. Lastly here is a panorama of the reserve from the top.