Eglinton Valley

Glaciers make a lot of sediment. In Fiordland, the mossy forest is quick to grab hold of any useable surface, even vertical 3 billion-year-old gneiss. So imagine the tangle that grows in the gravel braids dumped along the Eglinton River. Someone cleared part of the tangle for cows 100 years ago. This is the edge of a dripping, pixelated Fanghorn by moonlight. Over 770 known short tail bat roost trees exist in this forest, somewhere along Richard's flashlight beam. It's home to both of New Zealand's only native mammal species.

Fiordland, NZ