Stewart Island - New Zealand Part 2 A Paradise for Walkers and Ferns

摘要

Starting from the south eastern side of Oban, the Rakiura track proceeds clockwise along the Paterson Inlet, which cuts a large chunk out of the island. The path is close to the water, giving good views of the inlet, but every now and then crosses ridges slightly more inland. One is almost swamped with ferns along the path (Fig. 1).Again, the track surface is variable from plain stony earth, to wooden board walks above swampy areas and - worst of all - peaty swampy stretches in which the brown liquid flooded my boots over and over again in 2000. Ugh! To some extent, I was compensated by the huge lawns of sporing Phymatosorus diversifolius (or Microsorum pustulatum) (Fig. 2)which, even in poor light, was shining at me with its extremely variable fronds from single undivided to those almost bipinnate ( Fig. 3).