Vegetation
In the Glentui - Ashley Gorge area you can see remnants of the native vegetation that once existed throughout the region, including native tawhai/beech forest, scattered podocarp forests, tussock fields and Dracophyllum scrub.
A black sooty fungus covers many of the tawhai trees. This fungus is associated with honeydew; excreted by a soft scale insect feeding on the tree’s sap. The honeydew is seen hanging from fine silvery threads protruding from the black fungus. Honeydew is an important part of the forest’s food chain.
Birdlife
Native birdlife to be seen and heard here includes; pīwakawaka/fantail, korimako/bellbird, silvereye, miromiro/tomtit, riroriro/greywarbler, brown creeper, kererū/wood pigeon and tītītipounamu/rifleman and on occasion kārearea/NZ falcon, kākāriki/NZ parakeet and kea. You may also hear the introduced chaffinch, red poll, blackbird, or song thrush.
