Walking the first kilometre of the Tongariro Northern Circuit from Whakapapa Village, lilac flowers of heather are a dominant colour and seem out of place. An invasive species with a story. The Information Centre describes the British Moor import. Sadly in 1912 a ranger John Cullen believed that Tongariro should be transformed into heather moors for game bird hunting like in Britain. The grouse did not survive but the heather, Calluna vulgaris, multiplied out of control replacing the native reddish-gold tussock. One simple little misguided action has impacted the land forever.
