THE TRACK OF THE WILL WATCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE TRACK OF THE WILL WATCH.

By E. G. TURBOTT.

IV.—WHERE THREE HUNDRED YEARS HAVE GONE QUIETLY.

THE rule for travelling where time has stood still—as here on the Three Kings—is to go on foot. The cliffs round the level country of the islands are rugged walls of rock, cut by the unbroken power of the ocean. From where they tower above the anchored Will Watch, our first task is to get to the top, and, fortunately in sheltered Nortli-west Bay a mass of slipped and fallen rock forms what is known as a scree or talus elope —a useful slanting ladder against the steep side of the island.

What are the wonders of Great Island? Some were mentioned last week. Then there are the remaining signs of the old Maori inhabitants, the bay with its waterfall where Abel Tasman, nearly 300 years ago, anchored his ships; the scenery and plant and animal life. From the map it is noted that Great Island is formed of two "wings" of land towards east and west, joined by a narrow neck where the castaway depot is placed. Let us walk to the south-west, over towards the Tasman Bay valley. As already mentioned, the numerous bellbirds never let us forget their presence—"clink," "clink," "clink" right on until evening. The cicadas are also singing. But as we sit for a minute above the depot by a bellbird washing pool of the little creek, enjoying the birds' tameness,

there is among the trees a flash of bright green, not like the olive green of the bellbird. There! What is that? It suddenly flies swiftly to a closer position, a beautiful yellowfronted parrakeet, uttering its noisy "pretty dick" and chatter.

As we walk further we find the red-fronted kakariki (parrakeet) much more common than the bird with the crown of golden yellow. We see perhaps a long-tailed cuckoo in the trees, or a giant skink (rock lizard) scuttling away - over the rocky ground before us. We disturb a morepork, a harrier (hawk) flies above South-east Bay; we meet pipits, banded rails, pied fantails, and kingfishers. Starlings (introduced) are accompanied by a bellbird in their flock.

Besides the plants and the whitemarked bellbird, there are here land snails, such as a small flat one £in across, and the large 4in turret snail (Placostylus bollonsi), which are found nowhere else in the world — only on the Kings. We carry out a careful search but find none of the great Placostylus bollonsi still living. On Great Island they were probably kept in the first place to perhaps one gully of bush by the Maoris who cleared other parts of tli'e island, and since then seem to have died out owing to the island having been more completely cleared by the goats. In earlier days Captain Bollons, their discoverer, found 50 of these land snails.

Prepare now for a view! We cliinb the ridge, then look down upon Tasman Bay, with its great rock arch and its stream falling into the sea over the cliffs. "There," wrote Tasman—he was never able to make a landing—"high up on either side of the running stream, it (the land) was laid out in square enclosures here and there, after the fashion of our fatherland, green and beautiful."

We explore tlie historic valley, returning to spend the night oil the ketch as the bcllbirds are tuning lip for their wonderful last evensong. To-morrow again we should find new sights and sounds on the island.