h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Amazing trees and a great read Willem

I really like the mix of information about the trees and your personal experiences of them.

Thank you so much for such an enjoyable read

Hello Peanut, I'm very happy you liked this! Thanks for your reply. to you also!

and a timely also, thank you

it has been a chaotic morning, I feel all flustered so have come here for a bit of

I think these trees are wonderful and photogenic. That one pic with your dad in it really gives you an idea of scale. Tremendous. I wonder if they made it to New Zealand as well as Oz. I'll have to check with Rod.

Hello Elektra! I'm very glad you enjoyed these entries. I can answer your question! Baobabs didn't make it to New Zealand. The climate doesn't suit them ... too cold and wet. There are some fascinating links between South Africa and New Zealand though, but they go back to far more ancient times. The Podocarps for instance are trees associated with Gondwana, the ancient southern supercontinent, formed after Pangaea broke up, and are today still chiefly associated with the southern hemisphere although some do cross the equator, even reaching Japan. They formed immense forest on Gondwana 200 million years or so ago. Today they are minor constituents (in number, NOT size!) of mountain forests in Africa, but are quite prevalent in New Zealand. I'll be speaking about them in my Phyto-Philes column as well!

Thanks I'll look forward to that Willem.