THE SANDHILLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9334, 27 January 1892, Page 3

THE SANDHILLS.

TO THE EDiTOH.

Sin, —In common with all who desire to see the natural beauties of Dunedin conserved I have joined in the deep regret which has been expressed regarding the wreck at St. Clair and the destruction of the sandhills along the Ocean Beach. Ido not know what is being done, if anything, to stay or repair the damage. Two reasons induce me to bring up the subject once more. In the first place; it is unquestionable that the sandhills are rapidly disappearing. Where they are going to . may be a matter of opinion, but the serious thing is that they are going—and very swiftly too. When I say it is serious, I am not thinking so much of the consequences of the sea making its way into the low-lying grounds, though that may be bad enough. I am thinking rather of the loss of the sandhills as an asset of beautyand of pleasure, unequalled in value by anything else about the city. Whatever is to be done "' twere well 'twere done quickly."

The second reason that induces me to write just now is this: lam not aware that attention has been drawn to the extraordinary transformation that is going on at Lawyer's Head. The St. Clair side has thrown it into the shade. Ten years ago it was impossible to get rouud the rocks south of where the batteries are. Now, the sea has receded so much that you may go round for 30 yards'or so, where formerly you could not set foot at all. The detached rock which stands out some 30 or 40. yards fronvthe main mass, used to be all surrounded by water. The water has gradually receded, leaving bare a large surface of additional rock which was quite invisible a few years ago. Between this detached rock and the cliff side there used to .be a number of huge boulders. A few years since the water washed in over the top of these. Now they are quite bare, and are rapidly being silted round with sand. In the neighbourhood of these boulders, within the past few weeks I should judge, there must have been a deposit of nearly three feet of sand Where this sand has come from—whether it has drifted down from the hills or been thrown up by the sea—l cannot tell; but there it is. Further, there has been a very rapid and very great deposit of sand, beginning a . little .beyond the show ground wall , and culminating on the face of the hills between the rock which I have mentioned and the road leading up to the batteries. This is indicated by the almost total disappearance of the manuka fences which were put in near the show ground, about two years ago, I think. It is also indicated further along by the condition of the grasses. Several years ago the face of the hill between the rocks and the road leading up to the battery was covered with, these, and looked quite green. Now they have been almost obliterated by the sand drift. There is little visible but a white background. For the last 12 years I have been a. frequent visitor to the beach, and have noticed these changes going on. I am surprised that no one, so far as I have seen, has referred to them. Latterly in this neighbourhood the sand drift and deposit have been so very marked, that it is the chief reason which induces me to write now. I do not profess to know anything of the causes of this drift and deposit. That is a question for experts; but it seems to me that these facts may help to throw some additional light upon the question at issue regarding these sandhills.—l am, &c, January 25. Rutherfobd Waddell.