Welcome!
Rimutaka Forest Park is a beautiful area of mostly native forest in the hills between the Hutt Valley and Western Wairarapa, encompassing the Rimutaka Ranges and the headwaters of the Wainuiomata and Orongorongo Rivers, just east of New Zealand's capital city, Wellington.
It is characterised by steep, bush-clad hills and narrow fern-filled valleys cut by abundant freshwater creeks and streams.
Throughout the park, there are many well-formed and signposted walking tracks appealing to bushwalkers of almost every age and state of fitness.
The park is easily accessed by road from Wellington or Lower Hutt. Simply take the hill road to Wainuiomata and follow all the signs to the Coast Road/ Rimutaka Forest Park and then turn left at the Catchpool Stream access road into the Park. (See Map)
The Rimutaka Forest Park Charitable Trust is committed to preserve and restore the natural and historic resources of the Rimutaka Forest Park valleys and environs... (More)
It has been active in bringing about many improvements to the Park and the Catchpool Stream picnic area and camping grounds.
Our "Restore the Dawn Chorus" project is now in its 8th year and our "Kiwi Project" has produced three beautiful baby kiwi chicks!
DoC Hotline: 0800 362 468
(0800 DOCHOTline)
The Megalopsalis - also known as a "Daddy-Long-Legs" or "Harvestman" - is a type of Opiliones. This photo was taken in the Rimutaka Forest Park, by Kevin Alekna. (Click for a larger image)
Believe it or not, this picture is not actually one of a spider, but of a closely related group, Opiliones - commonly named "Harvestmen". The easiest way to distinguish this group from spiders is to check out the abdomen. In spiders, it is possible to see the segmental divisions. The segments are all fused together in Opiliones; the divisions have been obliterated.
This specimen is probably a Megalopsalis, says Leonie Clunie, of Landcare Research, who helped one of our RFPT members, Kevin Alekna, to identify his remarkable find. Adult males have extremely long legs in comparison to their 5 - 7mm body length - up to 16 centimetres in leg-span, in fact!
The males have distinctive and
very long chelicerae at the front; thought to be used
in their mating behaviour.
For more information about Opiliones and Palpatores,
please check out
this link:
http://soilbugs.massey.ac.nz/opiliones.php
Dawn Chorus & Kiwi Projects
Help protect our native wildlife and plants and keep fit doing so! We need some additional volunteers for our Rimutaka Forest Park Dawn Chorus Project and our Kiwi Project. (More...)
