Jan 19 Wellington Botanical

Starting at the top after a cable trolly ride entirely at a 40 degree slope, next to several observatory domes, are several varieties of flax at the Wellington Botanic Gardens, started in 1868.

Our walk started through Pukatea Glen, where the stream went from a damp area to a strong flow. It is one of the few areas on North Island of indigenous forest.

The canopy tree Black Mairi once covered North Island, but now there are only a few patches. The sole example in the Gardens has produced these carefully propagated seedlings.

The back side of this Denis O'Conner sculpture, Rudderstone, is polished black granite and represents the old world. One steps through the navigational metaphor at the center to this place of 'Pacific Coast Dwellers and maritime voyagers'.

As we walked down to the formal rose garden, we passed this Henry Moore in the midst of a clearly non-indigenous lawn, behind which is Druid Hill topped by the oldest European plantings in the park, a grove of California pines.

Nothing dominated the surrounding hill, not the city, not the bell tower of Wellington High School, nor, across it's massive oldest building, and marked with an arrow, our hotel.