See more ... Lancewood Tree Daisy

WHILE IT WAS a bivouac that attracted me to Mt Sunday, my lasting impression will always be the forest of twisted limbs, the rattling leathery leaves and the sagging strips of bark, which fluttered in the breeze.

I’d chosen an overnight trip to Mt Sunday Biv, situated at the eastern end of the Richmond Range, not far from Blenheim.) – a small tree distinctive for its long, dark green leaves and flaking orange-brown bark. While I am familiar with this member of the tree daisy family, I’d never seen so much of it, nor specimens so big. Dense groves of the tree dominate for much of the route over the summit of Mt Riley, and mist only added to the appeal. After a night at the bivouac, I wandered through more as I tramped over Mt Sunday.