Nature’s Marvellous Statuary.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 661, 14 January 1933, Page 17 (Supplement)

Nature’s Marvellous Statuary.

Wonderful Rock Shapes found just Beyond Porter s Pass.

(Written for the “Star" by

ELSIE THOMPSON)

\yiTH the ever-increasing popularity of winter sports, the name of Porter’s Pass is becoming quite well known for there, about seventeen miles from Springfield, on the Main West Coast Road, sporting enthusiasts have that excellent ski-ing is obtainable in season. The attractions which lie in this direction, however, are not alone confined to winter. Few places in New Zealand offer a more interesting day’s exploration than does the Castle Hill region, a mile or two further on from Porter’s Pass. The motorist along this road could not fail to notice, between Lake Lyndon and the Thomas River, the unusual appearance of the collections of rocks poised on the various hills around, but these are well worthy of closer investigation. A summer camp in the district is ideal, and offers unique scenery. Geologists and botanists find the district of great interest, and from

the earliest days of the province it has been one of their favourite haunts. The generally accepted theory accounting for the peculiar rock phenomena is that the area is all that remains of a strata of limestone which covered a part of the South Island when it was under the sea. With the raising of the island, this part v/as not raised so high. The surrounding mountains, pressing on all sides of +he basin, would have contorted the limestone into irregularities which the elements, through the ages, seem to have taken a delight in weirdly fashioning. Perhaps the most interestirjg group of rocks is that behind the Castle Hill homestead, where the ruins of a great amphitheatre are suggested to °ven the least imaginative. On the hill above is a huge rock shaped like a monkey with its paws over its ears. This we named “ Hear no, Evil.” A turtle is clambering over a

boulder, a group of giant mushrooms stands unchanged throughout the seasons, and the back view is seen of a girl with bobbed hair, sitting in a barber’s chair. With something of the delight of a child playing at pietending, the wanderer on these hills finds rock after rock which, without effort, the imagination clothes with meaning. Another group, across the Broken River, is graced with the figure of Queen Victoria, as large as life. This is an elusive picture, though, and can only be seen from a distance. As a close-up, it is nothing but a mass of rock, so the camera could not capture the likeness. A seal, a rabbit, a spaniel’s head, arches, columns, in fact a collection of statuary too large to be catalogued is there, waiting for the outdoor enthusiast to discover. Other groups are perched upon other hills not far away, giving the appearance of having been dropped from the skies.

The limestone is full of fossil shells, and Sir Julius Von Haast, one of the first to study the district, made a large collection of these, which included some hitherto unknown specimens. There are also traces of volcanic activity in the region. As interesting botanically as geologically, the basin has yielded up choice and rare species of plant life, a number of which, being new to science, were named by Sir Julius Von Haast. Murderers Creek, in this region, runs for a quarter of a mile underground before it joins Broken River, and this subterranean flow, although it includes a nine-foot waterfall, has been negotiated safely by a number of parties, and gives the place an additional attraction to the venturesome. On a fine day, the view from any of these rock-strewn hills is alone a sufficient recompense for making the trip.