Botanical Information, Artists Journal - Secrets of the Forgotten Tapu - © Lloyd Godman

Secrets of the Forgotten Tapu - artist journal - Lloyd Godman

During the 1980s, I visited the site with Peter Johnson -

Botanical Information

Blackhead near Dunedin: Botanical Notes
P.N.Johnson
Botany Division, DSIR, Dunedin Nov 1982

Summary

Coastal communities on cliffs and rubble slopes at Blackhead include extremely dwarfed windswept scrub with many native species, stunted ngaio scrub, flax and shore hebe. Dumping of quarry material over the coastal faces should cease in order to preserve some of this vegetation, and also some remarkable examples of columnar jointed rocks near the shore.

Introduction
Blackhead is a volcanic headland on the coast south of Dunedin.
Its sides are extremely steep and windswept rising to a crest about 140m above sea level. Quarrying of the basalt has reduced the natural height of the headland, hollowed out its inland sides, and resulted in some rock being pushed over parts of the seaward side. Currently an outcrop of Caversham sandstone on the headland crest is being dug out and dumped over the south-west coastal side. This is of some concern because of the visual impact.

Vegetation on the steep coastal faces was examined on 3 November 1982, with Mr L. Godman. Plants species are noted in an attached list.
Vegetation types present are:

1. Upper faces of solid rock: a sparse over on ledges and in crevices of Poa astonii, Disphyma australe,

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