SANCTUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 31 January 1939, Page 3

SANCTUARY

ITo The Lditorl Sir.—As New Zealand life gets increasingly sophisticated and conventionalised it is to a visitor an unspeakable joy to get so comfortably to the heart of such a bush sanctuary as your Dun Mountain track affords. Such outing is beyond pearls and rubies. Along that tunnelled greenery alternating with dappled sunlight and verdurous glooms the air blows pure and cold; the aisles are leaf-strewn for worshippers’ feet; the bush soars up in an endless dower of beauty; here and there clearings or breaks give enchanting prospects of bush-clad mountain or sapphire bay; the native birds and a choric charm beyond words.

One must make time to stand and stare. The wild witchery of the songs of tui and bell-bird has rare glamour there. At times the track is alive with riro-riros, fantails (pied and black), tomtits, and wax-eyes. Wee riflemen, as busy as bees, prospect for bark insects —all confidingly tame to the call of the bird-lover. What a delight, too, to see the robins’ back, tamer than ever! And native pigeons, queen of that tribe, so regaled with konini berries as to be loath to quit their fretted canopy of fuchsia. May I express the hope that Nelson children and Nelson youth will cherish and love this denison of wild fluttering folk which are a joy to eye and ear both —with magic of song and beauty of presence.—l am, etc., VISITOR. Nelson, 28lh Jan.