Otari park Wellington

Today we went out to Otari botantical park in Wellington. The GVN volunteer group has a 10 by 2m piece of ground that is monitored to see the growth of new native plants in the area. We need to measure the trees and see if any new plants have grown in the area. The area has been controlled by GVN since June 2005. They then started planting young trees in the area. We then also removed all weeds from the area.

Otari botanical Garden


Noting down the tree lengths of the trees GVN have planted over the last 18 months


Mark, clearing away the weeds from the track


In the afternoon we then went to the picnic area of the park, where also new young plants had been planted. Here we also released all the young trees from the weeds and also added wood shavings around the tree stems to protect them from the weeds and grass.

Lunch time- throwing of cut grass


Explanation of the different trees in Otari park



We stopped pretty early and went to a well known cafe called the chocolate fish. The cafe is the other side of wellington bay. The director of lord of the rings lives just a couple of houses away from the cafe. The cafe is really very different. Each chair has a slogan with nice painted pictures. The one side of the cafe is next to the sea, and then with a road in between is the actually cafe. Their is sign along the road warning motorists - beware waiters crossing. The also have a orange beacon in the middle of the road. They have the most delicious chocolate cake and milkshakes. Well worth it.

wall made with paula shells next to the chocolate fish cafe



Lovely chocolate fish sayings, each chair having a different one




the rest of the gang and in the back ground the cafe


the rest of the gang


sunset at the Kowhai house where we are staying