The Silver Fern (Cyathea dealbata, or “ponga” in the Māori language) is widely recognised as a symbol of New Zealand. This specimen on the slopes of Pirongia, an extinct volcano in the Waikato region of North Island, made for an interesting back-lit subject, as well as providing a welcome diversion from a long and tiring descent of the mountain.

Ponga fern (Cyathea dealbata) on Pirongia, New Zealand

You can find this image, along with many others, in the New Zealand Gallery on “A Wild Vista”.