A MARINE PARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19668, 21 June 1927, Page 8

A MARINE PARK.

In all recent references to this city's need to provide adequate open spaces for public recreation, there has been thought mainly of areas accessible by land. Thei'e is no call to limit the outlook thus. Auckland is a city fronting the sea and has harbour waterways destined to render increasing service to the prosperity and enjoyment of its people. Why should there not be added to its recreative areas one more typical of its position than any yet acquired by gift or purchase? It needs an island pleasure-ground, and there is just the island in Motuihi. An hour's journey from the city—far enough to give the trip a real interest and yet not so far as to curtail a day's delight ashore —and with alternative approaches workable in any wind, Motuihi has an ideal situation. Nature has furnished it with dimensions, shape and levels giving it perfect suitability for picnic purposes on a large scale. The city's rapid growth is'encroaching on seaside resorts once free to multitudes of pleasure-seekers: Point Chevalier and Milford, for example, are fast losing their value in this respect. Motuihi could be preserved for all time as a great marine park. It is Government property, occupied at present by the Departments of Public Health and Agriculture. The division between its quarantinestation and farming areas is made by Nature's provision of a narrow neck of land, and the turning of its pastoral portion —some 500 acres in extent—into a public park is beset by no insurmountable difficulties. There might be thorough segregation of the quarantine station —very rarely and scantily used—from the suggested pleasure ground. If occasion demanded, there could be brief and temporary closing of the island to the public. Better still, another location in the Gulf could be found for quarantine purposes. The idea of using Motuihi in this public way, for the healthful pleasure of the city's people, is worthy of vigorous support, and steps should be taken to persuade the Government to donate the island for this purpose to the city. The making of such a gift would manifest a wise realisation of a need that has convincing urgency.