Koru on the Heaphy

We left Browns Hut at 6:30am, and made our way continually upwards, to the highest point of the Heaphy Track, at Flanagans Corner, height 915m. From there, it was about an hour's walk to the Perry Saddle Hut, and our first night on the Track.
I was very relieved to arrive! The unrelenting upwards path wasn't steep, but it was continuous and quite an effort in the end. We stopped often, taking photos! (of course). My companion takes video, so my wanting to capture photos wasn't a problem.

The unfurling scenery was magnificent and I was entranced by all the plants and trees. I loved these unfurling ferns, or koru. We did see and hear kea and kaka as we neared the hut, but the predominant bird call during the day was the riroriro, or grey warbler. And at night, we heard kiwi calling. 

The koru is a spiral shape based on the appearance of a new unfurling silver fern frond. It is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattooing, where it symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace. Wikipedia.