Typical New Zealand native forest
New Zealand has been physically isolated from the rest of the world since it separated from supercontinent Gondwana some 90 million years ago. Because of that, it has developed unique assemblages of animals and plants that are found nowhere else, and most animals and plants common to other continents do not occur in New Zealand, unless they were introduced by man in the last few hundred years. For example, there are no endemic mammals in New Zealand - except for 3 species of bats; mammals were not around 90 million years ago; most appeared after the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago and by that time NZ was already out of reach in the middle of the ocean.
All this to say that it is when walking in the forest that one notices the most that there is something peculiar about the biota in New Zealand. The most striking for me was the abundance of tree ferns everywhere, and it didn't seem to matter whether we were on the North Island or South Island, whether the climate was hot or cold, wet or dry, or whether we were at sea level or high in the mountains. Those tree ferns were always there. Their presence gave a special "tropical" look and feel to the forest, quite pleasant and attractive. This is partly why I took so many pictures in the forest!
Typical New Zealand native forest
New Zealand has been physically isolated from the rest of the world since it separated from supercontinent Gondwana some 90 million years ago. Because of that, it has developed unique assemblages of animals and plants that are found nowhere else, and most animals and plants common to other continents do not occur in New Zealand, unless they were introduced by man in the last few hundred years. For example, there are no endemic mammals in New Zealand - except for 3 species of bats; mammals were not around 90 million years ago; most appeared after the extinction of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago and by that time NZ was already out of reach in the middle of the ocean.
All this to say that it is when walking in the forest that one notices the most that there is something peculiar about the biota in New Zealand. The most striking for me was the abundance of tree ferns everywhere, and it didn't seem to matter whether we were on the North Island or South Island, whether the climate was hot or cold, wet or dry, or whether we were at sea level or high in the mountains. Those tree ferns were always there. Their presence gave a special "tropical" look and feel to the forest, quite pleasant and attractive. This is partly why I took so many pictures in the forest!