Yep. He's refering to Dracophyllum subulatum, or Monoao, or Dracopyllum for short. Inhabits all of the frost inversion basins in the Central North Island high country.
I bumped into Charlie half a dozen years ago. He was living in the back of beyond, and had just taken the forest owner where he was living, for a spin in his aircraft of the time. I say spin, cause he 'failed to become airborne'. Something to do with Manuka or Dracophyllum not cut quite far enough away from the edges of his airfield.....
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