MAYOR ISLAND

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 11047, 22 February 1933, Page 3

MAYOR ISLAND

Brief Account of a Visit

BEAUT ITUJ; POHUTUKAWA

(By B. Phillips Turner, F.R.G.S.) On the 14 th inst., in company will jjr Bernard Sladden and a party oi scientific friends, I made a visit tc Mayor Island and spent three days examining the vegetation and scenk beauties of this most interesting place. The island lias in the ocean, about 22 miles north of the main entrance to Tauranga Harbour, If j S about 3500 acres in area, and is really the upper part of a large ancient' volcano, the highest point of rrhich is now about 1250 feet above . the surrounding sea. The crater is about one and a-half f miles in diameter and is enclosed by precipitous cliffs which in places are overhanging and reach a height of “about 700 feet. The "floor ' of the crater.is covered with varying sized boulders of lava and obsidian (volcanic glass), with a certain amount of pumiceous material. On its eastern side the crater extends nearly, to the sea and is separated therefrom by only a low and narrow trail- Within the crater there" is a small lake and two small swampy areas From the summit of the island numerous old lava flows descend to the sea, where they generally end in precipitous cliffs. Between the terminals of some of these lava flows small hays exist, and the bay at the south-east end of the island gives good anchorage and shelter from all ’winds except the southeast wind. ‘ ; There are no streams on the island and the scarcity of fresh water confines camping to a few localities. The costal cliffs are very* picturesque, with their numerous natural archways, caves, and fantastically shaped rocks. Outside the crater, except an area of about thirty acres which has been unwisely cleared by the Maori owners, the island is covered with .a rather dense-but low scrub on the spurs and in the gullies low forest trees. The scrub consists mainly of two shrubs called by the Maoris mlngimingi; (Leunopogon fasciculatus and cyathodes acerosa) and the two common species of tea-tree, but small trees, of pohutukawa and rewarewa occur scattered among the scrub. In the gullies there is forest composed’ mainly of pohutukawa, makomako (wineberry), whau (cork tree), houhou (fiVe‘ Anger), mahoe, ranglora, hangehange, kawakawa, karamu, kohekohe, black . tree-fern, stiver tree-fern and a few puriri. Though ferns are plentiful in the forest there..afe very few species, as compared with the forest of ■ the, mainland. However, some of the species represented e.g. Pterls tromula and Ptffis macilenta —I regret I have no common name for these—reach twice the size that they do on the mainland. In the island forest the leaves of' the rangiora, makomako, and kawakawa are far-larger and more glossy than on the mainland. ~ Looking over the' forest which clothes the floor of the crater one might take It to be composed entirely of pohutukawa, but when it is entered one finds that there are also a considerable number of rewarewa with mangeao in lesser quantity also a few pufiri. Under these, as a lower storey, tlpau, mahoe, xanglora, and karamu are abundant. The pohutukawas are so abundant , that,.when in full bloom, they would make the interior of the crater as red as when, in prehistoric times, it was a - gigantic cauldron of molten lava; ’ ' The flora of the island is remark-. ■ able for - the' absence of several plants which are common op the • mainland. For instance I saw not a single rimu, matai or other native conifer, no piitaputaweta, kaiomakp, hinau,; tltoki, bush lawyers, kiskie, crepe-ferns, and only three species of filmy/ferns.’- Epiphytes (perching plants),'were rare, as were also climbing plants. „ ,Tlie. plant- which gives the island beauty is undoubtedly the pnhutukWa, which is probably more plentiful here than in any other part of the, Dominion. Some of these ~trees reach an enormous size—two that:were seen were about 32 feet in girth,- with huge branches up to VO feet in length. The noble stature and form of these . trees make it difficult to leave their fascinating presence, There, are few places in New Zealand which the writer has not visited and nowhere has he found that most claming songster, the korimako or hell-bird, more numerous. Bushwarblers, fantails and silver-eyes fairly plentiful, but only a few i. Pigeons and two kingfishers were seen. Two kakas were heard, hut - 110 tnis, though Mr Sladden Unformed me they are there. I saw no black-headed tomtits, whiteheads; Whins or parrakeets. As the island la a considerable distance from the mainland it should be a comparative- . easy matter to preserve those birds that are there. The island is a bird sanctuary and nature lovers are fortunate in having such an enthusiast as, Mr Sladden to act as Wardian of the island; nevertheless tt Is not fair or reasonable that the Wardianship should he left solely to him, and '.other nature lovers , should assist. . Tn conclusion, I would remark that ■Sayor Island is a place of great beauty and interest and I venture to ' inhabitants of the Bay of .Plenty to exert themselves to pre*Wve Intact and as far as possible m its natural condition the native Vegetation and bird life of the is*end. if this be done it will not be '' g before; the island becomes a ■ P/Mme resort for the people of the of New Zealand, as well as Jmae of Tauranga. In order that effective control and guardianship of the island can be secured an endeavour should be made to acquire - interests of the native owners .-Wd to grant them an area of equal Wine on the mainland as corapensa.lo°* The land is useless for farm®g> and any person who spent money - ere for this purpose would lose it. I have made no mention of the gam© fishing that the waters ' m’! 114 i s i aiu i afford, but I was ■.. Nimbly informed ihat swordfish and ako sharks are as plentiful here / ihey are in the waters further , north. ■;;; •';/ „v;