ARTHUR'S PASS AND OTIRA.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18926, 15 February 1927, Page 11

ARTHUR'S PASS AND OTIRA.

TO TBE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. ' Sir,—Miss Stoddarthns dono good scrvlco in your issue of Saturday last in drawing attention to the need for preservation of the native bush between Arthur's Pass and Otira as a national reserve on lines similar to. those now in force for the Tongariro National -Park in the Nitth Island,, and all lovers of Nature and the beautiful bu9h scenery of the Coast road will endorse her protest against the vandalinn permitted in the wanton destruction of the fernj and other plants bv excursionists. One would have oxpected that the Government would Jiuvo made such provision before opening up that charming landscape to hordes of pedestrians by cheap but this Govern? ment seems to have no vision, or taste fOT the beauties of Nature, and only thinks-of dollars, vide their advertising hoardings, which wo may next seo set up along that lovely walk. —lours, etc., P • . BEAUTY SPOT.

10 THE BDITOB 0* THB PBESS. Sir,— May 1 take the liberty to thank you for giving the abovo subject a place in your leading articles. Indeed, I should* bo lacking in courtesy if 1 did not also recognise your Saturday's correspondent by coupling her name with yours, as it was her letter tliat started tho ball rolling. 1 am very sorry that I cannot comply with tier request for practical assistance in this matter, L>r being but nn ordinary citizen I am uiinbre to bring any prcssure to beor on those whose good fortune it is to hold tho reins of power. However, perhaps this little effort or mine mav awako Ih others a passion fori the scenic beauty of their own country before it is too late. The first time I visited Arthur's Pass was before the tunnel was put through, and it v.* n great sight to see tho coaches arrive and depart with their passengers. -But alas, these days are gone, and we have n daily service through to Otira which is nblo to convev mnnv hundreds of excursionists aero:.-, tho Pass! Every, time I have visited the gorge since the opening ot the tunnel. I have come away with a sad henrt; Kid. because I realise that if conditions continue as they are. tne dories of the Otira walk will soon pas* nwav. In faet. I almost feel jealous that people should he allowed tfio opporttmitv of seeimr.this beautiful r*un--trv thev don't npnrecinte it. o r if tnev do. their action* do not reflect it A" alon tho road from Arthur's Pasj you will see bunches of *•*«»«» shrubs dropoed alon c tho road Walkers linve been struck by the beauty- of ;tne plauts. and almost without thinking, t'-cv null them up, saying to themselves: "Won't these look nice in the garden o r in the front room. A tew miles further on the glamour of tiie scenery wears off, the bundle becomes heaw. and first one fern and then[another is.dropped, till by the end « the journev the walker will have Opposed of 'all his collection. Nor is that a|l. On reaching. Otira station, one sees jyouw of people on the platform, each" with a consignment or ferns, mountain lilies, rata bloom, ana other miscellaneous shrubs, obtained mo*t probably from the muhtonnne bush". Perhaps these scenic destroyers eould bo forgiven this sscn'ege- if they conldget them to grow, hut in nine cases out of ten they rnnnot. or if they do. v the. plants never attain their .natural growth. In fact, fern rrifectijU ia ! becoming quito commercialised, for

on one occasion I noticed several local schoolboys with small parcels of the Prince of Wales Feather fern calling for buyers at the entrance of tho tunnel causeway. These plants I know are seldom made to flourish other than in their natural haunts. Now take the illustrations I have given and multiply it by the number of excursions the railway are running right throughout the year, and it can readily be conceived that it will not be very long before the undergrowth of the gorge will bo cleaned out. No longer will it be possible to view the beautiful ferns and mountain lillies, and possibly, as your correspondent suggested, the ravages of fire will eliminate even the beech trees themselves, leaving only a few miles of charred stumps. It is not my desire to labour this sad question, neither do I desire to hurt anyone's feelings*' for I honestly believe that those , who are guilty of mutilating one of the prettiest scenic spots in the South Island, do so in utter thoughtlessness. I coincide with the suggestions hoth by your correspondent and yourself, that, the Government should be persuaded to establish a permanent ranger for this reserve, something on the lines of the Tongariri National.-Park of the North :Island.—Yours, etc.," BAWIBI.