more oblong than linear and are only about 9 inches long and are much wider than the juvenile form. The tree can reach 40 ft. in height and the trunk is usually about 1 foot in diameter. This condition of having two or more distinct kinds of leaves in juvenile and adult forms is called “heteroblasty” and it is not at all uncommon in New Zealand plants. But the lancewood was our only encounter with the phenomenon.
Now that our raingear had been thoroughly tested, the sun came out and we were able to visit one of DOC’s predator-free islands—Motuara Island in this same area. It was quite different from Jacob’s Bay. There were no tree ferns on this speck of land but many birds—the air was constantly vibrating to their calls. The forest was much more open than the one at Jacob’s Bay which was thick with underbrush as well as a lofty and dense canopy. The island is very hilly and the trail up was slippery with mud because of the rain that had fallen earlier. But the slipping and sliding were well worth the effort because of the wonderful birds were saw so closely and clearly.
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