AUCKLAND - The last piece of a rock forest growing on a 19,000-year-old lava flow is threatened by the sale of a Government-owned property in Epsom.
The rock forest, so named because its trees grow out of the rocky volcanic surface of the lava which flowed from an eruptingMt Eden, is on a 1.5ha property in Almorah Rd overlooking the Southern Motorway at the Gillies Ave on-ramp.
In June the property, zoned for 15 dwellings, failed to sell after a tender of $1.2 million was rejected. It is still for sale.
The curator of botany at Auckland Museum, Ewen Cameron, fears a sale could see the patch of forest lost forever, including the dozens of species of rare native snails that live there.
Unlike two small nearby rock forest remnants at Government House in Mountain Rd and the Withiel Thomas Reserve, the Almorah Rd property is north-facing, meaning that it is warmer and therefore home to puriri, titoki, karaka and mangeao.
"When you look at the rocky surface it looks very unfriendly for plants to grow in.
"It is always surprising to see these beautiful trees growing straight up out of the rocks. Their roots crawl round like snakes over the rocks before they disappear into the cracks," said Mr Cameron.
A large house on the land, once the home of businessman Sir William Goodfellow, was sold in 1952 by his wife, Lady Irene, who was forced under the Public Works Act to sell to the Health Department.
The forest can be seen from the Gillies Ave on-ramp but privet weeds obscure the best views of the native trees.
Mr Cameron said the rock forest was much the same as the forests which were widespread on the Auckland isthmus before the arrival of man.
The forests were now obliterated by development and quarrying.
