Soils and Vegetation

Soils in central Otago are mainly derived from till and loess and are arranged due to climatic zonation. Soils in the dry sub-humid region have weakly developed structure, low levels of organic matter, olive brown subsoil colours and accumulation of clay in subsoils. Soils in the moist sub-humid region are similar but lack distinct clay illuviation and are more leached. Soils in the humid region have moderate levels of organic matter, moderately developed structure, yellowish brown subsoil colours and are strongly leached.

The contemporary vegetation of the Upper Waitaki Basin and indeed of Central Otago is (short tussock) grass. Some isolated snow tussocks occur on the plains and snow tussock and red tussock occur within moraines. Red tussock is particularly prevalent in wet inter-moraine areas, e.g. south of Lake Ohau.

However, the vegetation was originally forest and then tall-tussock. Most of New Zealand’s lowland forests have long been cleared away for farming, so it is necessary to travel into the higher hills to appreciate the native vegetation. Many of the scenic reserves and National Parks
are covered in native beech trees, and in New Zealand these are evergreen. Mountain beech can grow up to 20m and the Silver beech, which is found at higher elevations, can be up to 30m tall. Mixed in with beech stands are the distinctive straggly manuka (tea tree).

New Zealand has 500 species of flowering alpine plant that grow nowhere else in the world.
The most famous is the Mount Cook lily, which is the world’s largest buttercup.