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17 October, 2010

Sequoia

The Sequoia, from California, grows to be the biggest tree in the world.  This one is doing the best out of the twenty or so planted on the property.

This one was planted by me.  But such a lot of the plants here came with the gold miners from California in the 1860s.
Planted spring 2006. Over two meters tall in 2010.
There were no trees here at all when the miners came.  Just tussock grass stretching into the distance.

Central Otago seems to suit plants from California.  Also a very cute thing on the property is the  flock of California Quail.

In the 1800s there were the gold rushes in Sacramento, 1849, then Ballerat and Bendigo in the state of Victoria Australia in the 1850s and then Otago in 1861.  Later there was the Yukon in Alaska.  There was a great movement of people around the Pacific rim.  Many of the local families here were originally American.  They bought their plants with them

 The two big trees below were planted in 1867, are already huge but still young.  They are protected as historic and significant items.
Central Otago Sequoias.  Planted 1867
You can see how big these trees are by comparison with the houses.  Our property, "the field of gold" is about five kilometers away in this photo.  At the foot of the mountains, in front of the snow covered peaks.  The church is where Theresa and I were married in 2007.

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3 comments:

  1. Wow. I had no idea that Sequoias were down there. Neato. It's just amazing how large those two planted in 1867 are. We don't get trees that size here in windy Kansas, USA. :)
    Suzanne

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  2. Those are great. Interesting how much some of the California plants love New Zealand. I remember seeing a lot of our trees in New Zealand. The Monterey Pines were kind of a bummer, but the Sequioas were wonderful.

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  3. Yes, I remember reading this, Kerry. I'm so glad Sequoias grow there; they are beautiful trees! We planted one ourselves when we moved here to the mountains. I'm also glad you have quail, their call is so distinctive and the babies so numerous and cute. They're the size of many little walnuts on feet!

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