One of the highlights of my trip to New Zealand was a short walk in the Eglington Valley. This is a magnificent podocarp beech forest in the Fiordland National Park. The trees were gleaming with verdant mosses, lichens and ferns. We were there to look for Yellowheads (dipped) but still enjoyed the Yellow-crowned parakeets (always checking for Orange-crowned), Riflemen, Tomtits and Robins. Before I went to New Zealand I did not even know what a podocarp forest is - here is an extract from Wikpaedia for those who share my ignorance: "Podocarpaceae is a large family of mainly Southern Hemisphere conifers, with 18-19 genera and about 170-200 species of evergreen trees and shrubs. The family is a classic member of the Antarctic flora, with its main centres of diversity in Australasia, particularly New Caledonia, Tasmania and New Zealand..."

This is simply stunning habitat, dripping with damp air and draped in every shade of green and brown. My photo doesn't begin to do it justice. It was taken with a small point and shoot. It does give some impression however and I'd love to go back and take better photos and find a Yellowhead.