BEAUTIFUL PIHA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20496, 22 February 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

BEAUTIFUL PIHA.

By BETTY MOLESWORTH, Hanfurly Terrace, Jit. Roskill.

I wonder how many boys and girls know the beauty of our wild Weist Coast, and of Piha ? I spent a splendid holiday there not long ago. Mother and I went by service car from Glen li,den, and tho drive was delightful, the road running for many miles through ihe Lush. We caught a glimpse of the western ocean just before we reached Kare Kare road, and very soon afterwards we were on tho summit of tho noblo Waitakero Range. For a few moments I was too spellbound to speak. As far as the eye could see, stretched the heavenly blue of an apparently motionless ocean, and it was not until I saw the white breakers upon the shore, could I realise tlhat this was the great restless Tasman Sea.^ Away below us lay Piha Valley, marvellously green compared to the driedup country on the other side of tho ranges, and the great Lion Rock standing like a sentinel on the silver sand. I rather wondered how we could make the descent—it looked almost impossible, but I was too interested in all the beauty around me to leel nervous, and, a,s mother said, we had a splendid driver, one who knew every turn of tho road. About three parts of tho way down the hill, a hugo rock boulder, with a pohutukawa tree growing out of the top, stands at tho roadside. A little later we arrived at the accommodation house, stiff and tired, but happy and hungry. Lunch over, we put on our sandshoes and found our way to the sea. The tide was well out, so wo clambered among the rocks, seeing new beauties every minute. I don't think I should ever get tired of studying the wonderful life among the seaweed, and rocks, and as mother is a keen conchologist, we found many things of interest. Great black seaslugs, about six inches long, carrying their armour on their backs, were quaint and wonderful, and we found three distinct kinds of chitons, the best of all had gloriously blue butterfly shells hidden under its brown skin. Sea anemones, some fully eight inches in diameter, in rich purples, led, and pink abounded, and fungoid sea growths of vivid hues, together with the large bright pink and silver grey starfish, were all to be found at low tide.

Numbers of beautifully marked crabs scuttled into crevices, the moment they saw us—l was rather pleased they ran, as the large ones, even in their beauty, certainly looked very formidablci. Large prickly sea eggs, and tiny fish seemed to be in most of the numerous pools, and many of the rocks were so covered with minute black mussels, as to resemble heavy plush. It is truly marvellous, the teeming life the sea must hold. Shells are not very plentiful, but I got quite a number of the tiny white " storm " nautilis, and a few others of little account. Mother and I spent, quite a number of days fishing from Dawson's Bock, near the " Nun," and " Wedding Cake," and we caught quite a lot of schnapper and rock-cod —a kingfish, eventually took our best line, and two others got caught in the giant seaweed, so wo gave up fishing, two days before we left.

One morning after breakfast we took a trip to the waterfalls. It was a beautiful walk, up the green valley, past the old timber mill settlement (once a prosperous little village, now fast falling info decay), and through the bush, following the small river, right np to the falls. The falls were very lovely, dropping on to six ledges altogether; I think the height is about 97ft. One great thing 1 noticed was the almost complete absence of bird lifo in this part of the bush, I did not hear a bird's song,

or even the cheerful sound of the noisy cicada during tho whole morning! Another day we joined a party and picnicked at Nikau Glade. It was a long walk, under giant pohutukawas, and through light bush, until we> suddenly found ourselves in a gigantic hall of nikaus —thero were hundreds of them, and many must have been at least thirty feet high—one could almost imagine the bush fairies making this their meeting place. Wo lunched, and theu went back to the beach to explore some Maori burial caves. Ono we found, arid saw many human bones scattered about—somo vandal had been digging and disturbing (lie remains of those long laid to rest.

Lion Rock is quito a landmark, and few have scaled its precipitous cliffs. I think it is very like a crouching lion from almost any angle—truly a fitting monument, to the brave men of Pilia Valley, who fought and died for tho honour of the Homeland, and whose names aro perpetuated on a marble slab set into the base of the great rock.