RABBIT ISLAND ROAD ROAD

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 20 August 1935, Page 7

RABBIT ISLAND ROAD ROAD

--—-my**' —. (To the Kilitotl Sir, —In Friday's ‘Muir’ a letter appears from "Yigiinnl.” of Mapua, expressing disappointment "that the projected road across Rabbit Island bad been so little esteemed bv the authorities consulted.” Nov.', Sir. "Vigilant” being a resident of Mapua. is no doubt very familiar with conditions there, but surely lie cannot lie aware of the difficulties that exist at the Nelson end of Rabbit. Island. According to the plans the channel here is a mile wide, and if “Vigilant could have stood on the eastern end ot Rabbit Island any morning recently and seen the enormous volume of water rushing in there. 1 think he would have been satisfied that a, bridge is quite beyond the resources of the province. Nearly the whole of the channel-bed consists of moving sand! and with a. depth of thirty feet of water at h.w.s.t. one can imagine the foundations that would be necessary for the work. To make matters worse the eastern end of Rabbit Island is being washed away at an astounding rate, and I feel convinced that the sand deposited at Tahuna is being taken from flic Island. I could write at length on Rabbit Island erosion, but perhaps it would be more convincing for “Vigilant” if be could see for himself what is going on. and with this end in view I should he delighted to take him down at any lime just about new or full moon. I quite agree with what “Vigilant” has to say concerning the wonderful Rabbit Island beach, and I am surprised that more week-end huts have not been built there (I think there is only one at present), hut if the people of Nelson are waiting for the bridge before making a playground of the. Island they will wait a long time. The powers that be complain of the difficulties of bridging the paltry' hundred yard hollow at the western end of the Appleby bridge, and so this menace remains—a disgrace to our Main Highway system. However, in the highest floods this is a mere trickle compared with the mile-wide channel between Robbit Island and the mainland. —I am. etc., M. ROGERS. Richmond. 17th August.