Had a similar experience in the aorangis recently. nasty stuff indeed. glad i carry some antihistamines. seemed to help the pain at least. the tingling stuck around for a couple of days, especially at night. like how insect bites get itchier when you are trying to go to sleep.

From the Encyclopedia of NZ:

Tree nettle (ongaonga)

Also known by its botanical name, Urtica ferox, this killer plant is well-documented. Like all nettles, it is covered in stinging hairs that put poison into the skin of a person or animal that brushes against it. The plant grows in coastal and regenerating shrublands up to 600 metres above sea level, where it may form dense thickets up to 2 metres tall.

On Boxing Day 1961 two young men hunting in the Ruahine Range stumbled through a patch of tree nettle and received a number of stings on their limbs. Within an hour one of them had difficulty in walking and breathing, and then lost his sight. He died five hours later in hospital. His friend had similar symptoms, but recovered. Although this is the only fatal incident on record, a number of people have been very ill for two to three days after being stung.

round up fixes it
been stung a few times with the big stuff, pleased the stuff we have down here in the south is only babies by comparison,have seen dogs crook even with our wee stuff.

We used to rub dock leaves on the stings when we were kids. Not sure if it worked though, but  that's what people used to do.

BC wrote on Feb 4^th, 2016 at 6:41pm:


Yep, singe the dock leaves with a lighter and squash the leaf and then rub it on the effected area

Fox Glove also great for nettle. crunch some leaves and rub on the effected area.

Seen two dogs die from that stuff - both GSP's and both collapsed and were dead by the time we got them to the vet.
Also had a mate I hunted with hospitalised after he dragged a deer he shot out of the stuff - came out with huge water blisters/bladders hanging of him and we sat him in the creek to try and ease his pain - didn't know what else to do.
Haven't seen it in years - it doesn't grow around where I mostly hang out these days.
Do remember reading years ago the toxin is similar to spider or snake venom - one or the other, can't remember.
I also know it can hurt for a week.