“UNSIGHTLY SCARS”

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 78, 27 December 1926, Page 10

“UNSIGHTLY SCARS”

ON SEATOUN-LYALL BAY ROAD DESTRUCTION OF ROCK ’ PINNACLES In a letter addressed to the Seatoun and Bays Progressive Association, Mr. E. Phillips-Turner, has made a strong protest against what is declared to be the mutilation of the unique and rugged grandeur of the Wellington coast-line, in his letter, which was sympathetically received by the association, Mr. Phil-. lips-Turner remarked that there were few —if any—towns in the world which possessed more naturally beautiful coastal scenery than did Wellington. “There is certainly no town in New Zealand which can be compared with it," he said. "Of Wellington’s coast, that lying between Evans Bay, Karaka Bay, Seatoun, Lyall Bay, and Island Bay is pre-emi-nently beautiful, either when washed by a furious sea or when in calm weather the many-shaped and many-coloured rocks are flushed by the slanting beams of the rising or setting sun. Is it not this natural beauty which has caused so many people to leave the city and make their permanent homes at the many bays or on the hills which encircle them? Is it not this beauty which is the main attraction which on holidays draws thousands of city people to our shores? The answer is undoubtedly 'Yes'; and this being so it is certain that in less than a generation both residences and visitors will have more than quadrupled in number.

"From the foregoing it will be seen that our coastal scenery has a very definite and important money value. It is useless lamenting over the vandalism which has in the past caused the destruction of several rocky pinnacles and other eoenic features; but residents will be blind to their own interests if they do not keep vigilant eyes on what we now have and insist that it be not interfered with by short-sighted engineers or stupid road foremen. It should be remembered, too, that these coastal scenic attractions are not for us residents alone, and the numerous visitors from the city will blame us jf we do not preserve what they consider they have 8, snare in. A marine drive—which we boast is to be the finest in the worldwill shortly be completed from Eastbourne to Island Bay. It will be worse than stupid if we allow to be destroyed some of the main features which give exceptional beauty to this drive. Ot course, it is evident that roads cannot be made without destroying something, but there is no need to blast away a picturesque rocky pinnacle just because it happens to Lie a few yards nearer to the job than some other equally good rock which is perhaps a shilling or so more expensive per load to quarry. “In the past it has been the practice of the road foreman, when making the coastal road, to blast away the face of the cliff every few yards, and thus create a succession of unsightly scars. To avoid this, suitable quarries should be selected at, say, every mile and metal obtained only trom these places "dosing these remarks I cannot refrain from strongly protesting against the carting away of the fine gravel of our beaches,- for instance, the whole beach below the “Gap” at Breaker Bay iias been carted away, and this summer picnic parties will find they have lost this most pleasant resort. An attack has, indeed been started on the larger beach at Breaker Bay, and steps should at once be taken to prevent the destruction apparently contemplated there. lhe gravel is undoubtedly very good gravel, but it happens to form a beach and terrace which are particularly enjoyable resorts during the frequent northerly winds.”