Hot air chestnuts.

I was excited to be told about the beautiful chestnut tree by the teacher at Mt Albert Primary school. She was sure because she saw Chinese people come and pick them.

I went specially to see them, brown burrs lying on the ground. I was delighted, but only to be disappointed. The nuts were flat and small. In fact 99.99% were useless nuts. I found only 5 nuts for my trouble.

With discussing with friends, I joked tongue in cheek. Perhaps the caretaker was sick and tired of clearing the prickly burr that he cursed the tree. 

There is legend in another part of Auckland at One Tree Hill that olive trees were cursed. They have no fruits because the land owner did not pay the Greek workers. Even after the owners paid up, it was too late. The curse meant there were no fruits. Someone thought it was the specie of the trees, or they won't grow in New Zealand, yet in other areas, they had fruits.

My friend Lynn who found heaps of chestnuts in Turangi says it is because of the dry winter. At any rate, I sent photos to the New Zealand Chest nut council.