THE TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 100, 25 October 1916, Page 11

THE TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

THE ADVANTAGES AND ATTRACTIONS | .

VALUABLE WORK NOW BEING BONE.

Probably few people in Wellington know that within a little more than half-a-day's railway journey from the city lies one of the finest bush-fringed parks in New Zealand—the Tongariro National Park. . The Tongariro mountain is familiar to most people by name, but the park which carries the same appellation is rarely spoken of; it has been undeservedly forgotten. The history concerning the acquirement by the people of "this beautiful park is short but interesting. Away back in 1887 the late Te Heuheu Tukino, chief of the Ngatituwharetoa tribe, iv a spirit of benevolence ceded by deed of gift to Her Majesty the Queen an area of 6508 acres near Waimarino (on the Main Trunk line) for the purposes of a national park, and the only stipulation the big chief made in presenting to the people his munificent gift was that his son, Te Heuheu Tukino (still living at Tokaanu) should be for life one of the several trustees appointed by the Governor to control the park. And so by Act of Parliament dated 1894 the 6508 acres together with other areas mentioned in the schedule of the Act, amounting in all to 62,300 acres, were' permanently set aside for the people with the reservation made by the venerable Native donor. Since, in 1914, by legislation the Tongariro National .Park passed out of the hands of trustees and became vested in the Government Tourist Department, which now controls it.

Not until a few years ago was anything substantial done by the Government or 'the controlling trustees to bring this large and most picturesque area of bush and 'wide stretch of plain encompassing those august snow-clad mountains, Tongarira, Ngaurahoe and Ruapehn, to 'the notice of the people as aD ideal holiday resort, an unrivalled field for 'the fisherman, the alpine climber, the tired city man. It is true that until the running of the railway between Wellington and Auckland, id 1908, made more accessible 'the country along the Main Trunk line the Tongariro Park, and the lands in the vicinity were difficult to get at and probably in this and financial difficulties there is some excuse for the lethargy of the authorities in bringing before the public a summer haven unparalleled in bush scenery, health-giving mineral springs, beautiful fishing streams and volcanic wonders. Now largely owing to 'the public spirit and forethought of one or two Wellington citizens, principal among them being Mr. J Oullen, 1.5.0., Commissioner of Police, the Tongariro Park stands a chance of coming into prominence. Mr. Cullen, has been keen to recognise the valuable asset the country has in Tongariro Park. He has made it his holiday rendezvous for the last several years. In his explorations of the extensive area it covers !*e has had unexampled opportunities of discovering 'the advantages the park has over others of making it like Eotorua and Mount Cook one of the most attractive resorts for the sportsman, the pleasure and health-seeker in the Dominion. It is with 'the plains running east and west of the great Ton-garirc-Ngaurahoe-Ruapehu range that Mr. Oullen has centred his attention. As everybody that has travelled on the Main Trunk trains between Wellington and Taumarunui knows the Tongariro Park plains, or, as' they are move generally called, the Waimarino Plains, are thickly covered with tussock or snow grass. The soil is o.f a fine pumice description rendering the land useless for cultivation for pastoral purposes. Experiments were made on the plains some years ago with the grazing of sheep but they failed; nearly all the sheep placed on them perished' for the want of food. Doubts have also been expressed as to whether the scientific agriculturist coold ever accomplish anything with the plain lauds, and it is little wonder that they have been left severely alone. But, however, Mr. Oullen has looked at the plains surrounding Tongariro Park through different spectacles—the spectacles of a sportsman. Coming from Ireland, where grouse shooting is one of the principal sports of the sportsman, Mr. Cullen has been struck with the apparent suitability of the Tongariro Plains for ,their conversion into a moor for grouse, blackcock, and other wellknown English table birds. The princi-. pal food of grouse is the j'oung shoots and seeds from Scotland's national shrub, the heather, and the bilberry. Already in^ one or two isolated parts of the Dominion patches of- heather are to be found. The late Sir Donald M'Lean was probably one of the first settlers in New Zealand to give heather a start on the waste lands of the country. In 1873, in Maori War time, he sent two bags of heather sped to the Armed- Constabulary then 'stationed at Opepe (on the Napier-Taiupo-ioad) for planting on the pumice lands there. Much of the seed propagated, and to-day at Opepo (which is roughly eleven miles from Taupo) about fifty acres of fully-developed heather plants can be seen growing luxuriously. In Mr. Cullen's opinion there is every possibility of heather being made to grow in abundance on the Tongariro Plains. About two or three years ago he- submitted a report regarding his scheme to the Government, and as a result was granted financial aid to buy heather plants for experimental purposes at Waimarino. . Some 4000 well-grown, plants were obtained from a nurseryman at Invercargill, Mosgiel, etc., and these were planted out on the Waimarino Plains. With few exceptions, all these plants have thrived and to-day they ar» of a fair size and show every prospect of spreading. Thus the experimental stage has passed successfully. Since then heather seed has been imported from London and Scotland, and this has been handed over to the Government nursery at Whakarewarewa, Rotorua, for propagation. Some thousands of plants can b« seen, there of from four to six inches high, and as soon as these aro ready for removal they will be p)anted out on the plains of Tongariro Park. In a few years, it is predicted, the ugly bleached tussock grass on the plains will have to make way for the heather with its soft, dark green leaves and beautiful golden purple blossom. Then.will comethe question of the importation of grouse and other birds likely to do well on the high altitudes of the plaius. - Already Mr. Cullen has been in communication with Indian sportsmen, making enquiries with a view to the importation of the birds mentioned. Ho has had very satisfactory replies a.nd many offers of assistance, and is now convinced that a practical start has been made on his scheme towards the popularising oE the Tongariro National Park.

New Zealand before the war attracted —and will continue to attract after the war—a large number of wealthy tourists annually on account of the superior trout fishing it affords, and with grouso shooting as an additional attraction, it would draw to its shores a, great many more wealthy .visitors. In. the British Isles, grouse shooting opens on ithe 12th August, and as the corresponding month in New Zealand, as far as the seasons axe concerned, would be .March, sportsmen from England eouM lyadg* in .both JBahing and Eliootiae duriaK tlie N«yr

Zealand season, nnd return Home in time for the opening of the grouse season .there.

If his scheme, as briefly outlined, matures, as it no -doubt will in the hands of so keen a sportsman, Mr. CulIcn will have done not only a fine service in bringing the Tongariro National Park into that prominence which it deserves, but he will have rendered also a fine service to sportsmen in New Zealand and overseas. With grouse moors in the Tongariro Park plains must come larger spas and accommodation houses, and with so wide a field of opportunity and attraction as tho easy-graded snowcovered mountain slopes possess for tobogganing, glissading, and ski-ing ; it would not ba drawing on the imagination too strongly to picture it as one of the world's famous resorts.