Thanks a lot for your detailed post, I saved it on disk. I could see
several Nothofagus species in both islands, some seemed to be very
common indeed. With a small book I could identify N. menziesii (Tawhai),
N. truncata with larger leaves, and maybe N. fusca, but I was not too
clever to recognize the various plants that are so different from those
we are accustomed to. We were explained different things especially at
Milford Sounds, Lake Wanaka and elsewhere (near Franz Josef).

The flora is magnificient but you have also an awful pest in NZ : Urtica
ferox. ;-))


U. ferox (ongaonga) is not a big deal. I have not heard of any nasty
reactions to its sting. I generally get a slight burning sensation that
goes tingly and then fades after 24 hrs or so. I would rather have a
stinging nettle than bears, alligators etc!

Ongaonga does have a bad habit of occupying the sides of tracks!