Neil Fitzgerald's great full page shot of Drymoanthus flavus at Whirinaki [J94:2] got the Column all excited about how this cool orchid had found its way in abundant health to the shores of the Hokianga Harbour, near the new power station? Wrong! It was Whirinaki Forest near Minginui wasn't it? Even the Field Guide now has it in ER 5 Hokianga, in error.

This orchid has not actually been recorded north of Chris Ecroyd's and Bruce Irwin's find in the
Paeroa Range [J53:30] 25km south of Rotorua. The Column and Neil, emailing messages back
and forth, still didn't wake up to the other's Whirinaki for several months. New Zealand bristles
with duplicate to quadruplicate names.

Nonetheless Neil, who had organised a field trip from Murupara with DoC's Gareth Boyt and Paul Cashmore for Friday 11 November, was good enough to invite the Column, along with Chris Ecroyd and Graeme Jane. John Hobbs brought his camera too on a calm, fine day to a dry forest. What could be better? Neil led us about 1 km from the forestry road, straight to the spot in high tawa/podocarp forest via his route of 3 years before, down a steep incline, across a stream and up onto a leading spur. Quite an achievement Neil, take a bow.

There were about four tiny D. flavus plants on the kamahi (Weinmannia racemosa) tree, mere
shadows of Neil's J94:2 plant. The smallest, about 12mm across, had a truss of flower buds
bigger than the minuscule leaf spread!

Drooping cameras and ill concealed disappointment were in evidence all around but soon two
more full sized and flowering plants were found nearby and the digital cameras were quickly
whipped into action with raised arms giving the tallest guys a distinct advantage. A platform
of fallen limbs by the best raceme finally allowed some dignified photography even with the Column's steam-age film camera and Chris standing by with the flash gun, thank you Chris.

Photos below of the best truss available, give a reasonable perspective on this, our rarest
epiphyte. Flowers were a mere 4-5mm across but were a sight for the Column's sore eyes
which have been seeking it for at least 12 years, back to when it was called "spotted leaf".

After all the photos possible had been taken several times over and after a celebratory luncheon
of sandwiches and water, the Column took a tip from Neil and headed out straight up the spur, to
avoid the stream and to not delay the party who assured him they would be following up very soon.

This was a self imposed trap. "Very soon" wasn't that soon at all as the party went from find to ecstatic find finishing up with 42 D. flavus plants in all; a seriously good population. One was on hinau (Eleocarpus dentatus) and 41 were on kamahi.

The Column meanwhile bore right, down a leading spur well marked with flags (for the possum
trappers!) instead of bearing left along the main ridge. It's plain as a pike staff now, on Tumonz,
but then, when unease set in and only the kaka's cooed back to his coo-ees, he realised he had
got geographically confused but definitely not lost.

The hiker's compass helped, the aging legs complained at the uphill back-track but Gareth's yells up the track were the most welcome sound of the year. Moral: don't go off alone, especially in unfamiliar territory.