Pea pod fossils in New Zealand were first found by Aline Holden, a pioneer of New Zealand plant fossil research. She found the first ones at Bannockburn in 1981, while working on her PhD, and then found more in the Nevis Valley. In 1987, my PhD professor, J.D. Campbell and his wife, Anne, dropped in… Continue reading Giant Pea Pod fossils in New Zealand’s Miocene
Tag: Central Otago
Hoop Pine fossils – dry rainforest in New Zealand’s Miocene
In a little patch of shale, continually flaking onto the road near Bannockburn (central South Island, New Zealand), there are the unmistakable fossils like Australian ‘hoop pine’ shoots. Hoop pines are members of the tree family which includes ‘monkey puzzles’, ‘bunyas’ and the ‘Norfolk Island Pines’. The Latin name is Araucaria – New Zealand has none of… Continue reading Hoop Pine fossils – dry rainforest in New Zealand’s Miocene
The Giant ‘Lake Manuherikia’ – an extinct lake from the New Zealand Miocene
Alexandra lies at the junction of the Clutha and Manuherikia Rivers. The usual translation of the Maori word ‘Manuherikia’ is that it means something like “cry of a tied bird” and records a scout tying a weka (a bird) to a stake to mark the crossing point of that river (Reed Dictionary of NZ Maori Place… Continue reading The Giant ‘Lake Manuherikia’ – an extinct lake from the New Zealand Miocene
The Highlands Motorsport Park ‘Jurassic Forest Safari’
Growing up in Alexandra it inconceivable that Cromwell might somehow overtake Alex. Alexandra was The Hub. Cromwell was the little place you passed through on the way to the little villages of Queenstown or Wanaka, where you holidayed. But things have happened in Cromwell, and one of the big things is the Highlands Motorsport Park.… Continue reading The Highlands Motorsport Park ‘Jurassic Forest Safari’
The Fossil Palm Swamps of Central Otago, New Zealand
One of the endearing memories I have during my PhD was working on the banks above the Kawarau River near Cromwell (Central Otago, New Zealand), in the middle of the winter. I was belting my way with a pick into a sequence of mud that was frozen solid. This was probably a good thing, as… Continue reading The Fossil Palm Swamps of Central Otago, New Zealand
The Fossil Palm Swamps of Central Otago, New Zealand
One of the endearing memories I have during my PhD was working on the banks above the Kawarau River near Cromwell (Central Otago, New Zealand), in the middle of the winter. I was belting my way with a pick into a sequence of mud that was frozen solid. This was probably a good thing, as… Continue reading The Fossil Palm Swamps of Central Otago, New Zealand
Supplejack – a survivor from the Miocene in New Zealand
The first time I ever slept-out (sleeping bag, no tent), I was about four years old, and the place was an idyllic spot on the banks of Pipson Creek, just outside of Makarora. Its on the road to the West Coast from Wanaka/Hawea. One of my memories of that family holiday was swinging on a… Continue reading Supplejack – a survivor from the Miocene in New Zealand
Eucalyptus fossils in New Zealand – the thin end of the wedge
Eucalyptus (aka ‘gum-tree’) is the quintessential Australian tree. There are about 700 species of them today (depending on who you ask), all of them restricted to Australia, except for a couple that are in New Guinea. They range from cold mountains in Tasmania and Victoria, to tropical lowlands of the Northern Territory. They are in the… Continue reading Eucalyptus fossils in New Zealand – the thin end of the wedge
Four Degrees of Climate Change in New Zealand – should we care?
New Zealand might be a relatively lucky position as regards global warming. We mostly have a moderate, ‘maritime’ climate. Not too hot, too dry, and except for the dirty dribbles of ice we make so much of, no ice-sheets to melt. We’re not like Australia, where the ‘normal’ run of extreme heat, drought, and fire is… Continue reading Four Degrees of Climate Change in New Zealand – should we care?
Matai- vanquished giant of New Zealand’s dry forests?
I’ve long found New Zealand’s black pine, the matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia) to be a special tree. From a dishevelled juvenile, It can grow into one of our tallest and oldest plants. Its foliage, unlike the delicate feathers of its smaller relative the miro, has a more scruffy appearance. It is by no means rare, but… Continue reading Matai- vanquished giant of New Zealand’s dry forests?