'Spot the Missionary' / Land Ho! aka The Norfolk Island Pine

 The first European known to have sighted Norfolk Island, and thus the Norfolk Island pine, was the inimitable Captain James Cook - in 1774, on his second voyage to the South Pacific on HMS Resolution. He named the island after the Duchess of Norfolk, wife of Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk (1685–1777).

  

 The trees grow to a height of 50–65 m, with straight vertical trunks and symmetrical branches, even in the face of incessant onshore winds  that can contort most other species.

They were planted, coastaly, in places that were easily seen from approaching seafarers, thus making it easy to spot meeting places in remote landscapes. 

Cones and foliage of Araucaria heterophylla

 

Often planted near missionary sites, the annual new growth on the tops of the trees were 'conveniently' significant, since it resembled a cross :-) 

This one was opposite Shelley and Brett's at Ferry Landing over the Whtianga Scallop Festival weekend.