The road was not as long as to Cape Palliser and the landscape very different to what we’ve seen here before. Many non endemic trees (that grow yellow in autumn and loose their leaves) grow around Masterton and on the way to Castle Point, soft hills, sheep and winding roads dominate the scenery. Along the way, we saw some fires lit by farmers to burn unused plant waste, wood … sometimes big blue-ish clouds hang over the meadows and give it a spooky touch. After an hour the little town Castle Point opens up to the visitor and presents its main attraction: The big rock of which Cook once said it would resemble a castle (hence the name) and the lighthouse (yes, another! how exciting!).
The Castlepoint daisy (Brachyglottis compactus) is only found naturally in the Castlepoint area, the plant grows up to 1 metre and flowers in mid to late summer. Its hairy evergreen leaves are soft to touch.
