SOUTHERN SOUNDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19910, 31 March 1928, Page 14

SOUTHERN SOUNDS.

BETTER ACCESS ADVOCATED, NEED FOR A MOTOR ROAD. SIR DOUGLAS MAWSON'S VIEWS. Having returned to Wellington after a visit to the southern Sounds, Sir Douglas Mawson lias nothing but praise for tlui scenery of that re-ion, which, lie says, excels in grandeur ami bcaury similar fiord scenery in Norway. At Deep Cove in Smith Sound he saw -what was a pleasing reminder to him of his Antarctic exploring days—a. young D u 11 sea elephant which slept on tne beach for several clays. This animal, which is not a native of New Zealand shores, bad probably strayed trom Macf\uai u; Island, the. nearest homo of sea elephants. Sir Doughi* lamented the fact that the Sounds arc practically a closed book to any people at all elderly or not robust. It was threo days of fairly strenuous walking to negotiate the Miiford track, and it could bo very wetting however one was clail, owing to the perpetual brushing against damp undergrowth. From a tourist; point of view, so as to open up the Sounds to others besides hampers, what was required, ho suggested, was a :;notor road from the west arm of Lako Manipouri to Deep Covo in Smith Sound. This road would be unlv ten miles in length, as the track goes, and its construction' would present, no great difficulties. Were it to be made, tourists would be able to reach by launch arid motor tho shores of a wor.dciful system of Sounds presenting 132 miles of slioro lino with unrivalled scenery, the exploration of which could be carried out by launch. The famous walk would btii.l I'C available to those tit to undertake it, bui the addition of tho road would open lip tho Sounds to numerous tourists now unable to make tho trip, and would be appreciated by thousands in Australia and New Zealand alike.

"One cannot but be struck by the enormous potential power resources in the streams and lakes of that elevated region," said Sir Douglas, "llie harnessing of such power must in itself eventually speli great prosperity for New Zealand. I do not think that New Zealand as yet recognises the national asset she has in her water power. Every possible source of energy has been studied in the Old World of late, and the reports of the World Power Conference clearly indicate that tiie advantages of the Dominion are recognised."

Sir Douglas Mawson, being a professor of geology at Adelaide, naturally studied the Sounds from a geological point of view; in fact, to do so was one of the main objects of his visit. From a geological point ol! view, he said, the great canyon-like depressions known as fiords have been generally looked upon as having been sculptured bv ice, in bygone ages. It was generally conceded, too, that prior to the glacial action which developed them they existed as minor formations indicating courses of streams. More recently, however, another factor in the development of fiords had been emphasised, this being that the fiords not only follow tho course of pre-glacial streams, but also follow fracture or fault lines pre-existing in the earth's crust. The ice followed these lines, of which there were several set at definite angles to each other, developing depressions and chasms as it traversed the fracture zones. "There is no doubt that such tectonic lines played a verv important part in the location and development, of the New Zealand fiords," CO T, eltir'od Sir Don el as.

Sir Douglas Mawson will remain in Wellington until Tuesday next, when he will leave for England bv the Rotorua.