AUCKLAND BOTANIC GARDENS(Adapted from my earlier article written for www.nhne.org)During a 2004 visit to the North Island, we visited Auckland Botanic Gardens. It is a little serving of heaven on Earth. See for yourself at: Auckand Botanic Gardens Lush, spacious and carefully organized, it's easy to find your way around, and easy to lose yourself in the beauty of each section. Emerald lawns, separating each segment of the Gardens, beckoned to my feet. I gave in, slipped out of my sandals, and reveled in the cool soft greenness. A humid climate such as the rainforested north island is perfect for a grassy lawn. The autumn dahlia garden was in full swing. They were huge! Tall, broad and strong, due to all the moisture and rich soil. Much of the rest of the flower beds had died back for the season. The rose gardens were a little sparse at that time… but I can attest that roses smell just as sweet on the other side of the world from me! They seemed brightly lit from within, as did the dandelions. I figured that was because of the contrast of their color against the dark pre-cyclone sky. A cyclone was hitting the island of Fiji, just north of us, that day. Herbs and vegetables (locally referred to as "viggies") were gigantic and nearly bursting with vigor. We got a good look at them in the Threatened Native Plant Garden. The caretakers at the Botanic Gardens have taken great care to label processes as well as plants. The small wooden signs scattered throughout this garden explain and illustrate the domino effect of extinctions. When one species of plant or animal dies, it endangers another species that depended on the first for food or habitat or symbiotic protection. New Zealand is only one of many countries with this problem, of course. In a grove of ginkgo biloba trees, we stopped to rest. I handed some ginkgo leaves to Gary, declaring that his memory would improve if he carried some. That was a joke, but I immediately remembered that I had left my sandals back on the green lawn. What powerful ginkgo leaves they were! My favorite part of the entire Botanic Garden was The Native Bush (rainforest) Trail. Forests are called "The Bush" here, and this one was wondrous! We walked through the swath of ancient rainforest in reverent silence. For a long while, I sat alone on the ground. Bird calls sounded unreal, like children's squeaky toys gone crazy. Curlicue vines dangled from branches, waiting for Tarzan. Palm trees and cabbage trees emanated an atmosphere of foreign wilderness. From the giant silver fern leaves towering over my head (silver fern is the unofficial national emblem) to the metallic buzz of treetop insects to the Unidentified Forest Objects at my feet, nothing was familiar. The earthy aroma of eucalyptusy soil. The squishy orange raindrop-shaped thingys (nuts? berries? dates?) and huge lichen clusters. It wouldn't have surprised me if a dinosaur came down the trail, or if God came down on a cloud. The only familiar thing was the sense of bountiful serenity. Standing up and leaving that timeless oasis was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Bonnie
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