Okia Reserve

This is another view from the top of one of the pyramids at Okia Reserve. It was late afternoon and raining so the pictures might look interesting.

Oh, and it was pretty cold & wet everywhere. This is the path down from the pyramid; sort of slippery.

The pastures had trenches dug out to help remove some of the standing water.

This is on the loop trail through Okia Reserve. The reserve is full of interesting plants and surrounded by high cliffs on three sides and Victory beach on the fourth.

This is from the department of conservation about the plants of the reserve.

The original plant cover of the dunes was probably pikao (Southern dialect for
pingao: Desmoschoneus spiralis), the native sand sedge. Today this plant, which is
highly prized by Maori weavers, survives naturally in only a few places on Otago
Peninsula. The rich yellow sedge has now been largely replaced by introduced
marram grass, which has taken over in coastal areas throughout New Zealand.
Pingao is found naturally only in New Zealand. Its thick rope like stems stabilise the
sand, sending down long, fine roots to search for moisture. From the same strong
stems, curving tufts of narrow grass-like leaves grow. It is these leaves that give
pikao its luxuriant colour – green-gold in winter, turning bright orange and later
deep yellow in summer. It is often referred to as weavers’ gold and has been used by
Maori to make intricate tukuktuku panelling and decorative woven articles.
Efforts are being made to re-establish pikao at several sites in the Reserve.