It’s pouring here in Momorangi Bay. The rain is testing my tent, but I’ve made the most of it. Each day for the past week, I’ve walked the same forest loop. Every outing gave me something worth photographing.
The best find? My wife spotted it at the base of a fern tree. I’d been searching for hours, and then she casually sent me a photo while I was back at camp: “Look what I found.” Of course, it was Gliophorus viridis.
Green waxcaps are rare to me, or well-camouflaged. I spent time shooting them, noticing how they stand out or blend in depending on the light and angle. The trail felt like walking through a forest of traffic lights: red, yellow, green. Waxcaps were everywhere.
Most of my time was spent inspecting ponga (tree ferns), kānuka on the lower slopes, and mānuka on the upper slopes. The understory was starting to show early broadleaf species, including five-finger, māhoe, kāmahi, kōhūhū, and rangiora. I also found small patches of hard beech and signs of kahikatea, pukatea, and tawa.