Page image

5

C- -13

on the north shore, at the entrance to Whaingaroa Harbour. On the north coast is an area 8 miles in length at Spirits Bay, and smaller tracts at various places. On the east coast dunes composed of a glistening white sand extend with one or two small breaks'from the North Cape Isthmus to Rangaumu Bay, having a length of 17 miles, and varying from \ mile to 2 miles. There is a small area at Henderson Ba}' and another between Grenville Point and Perforated Point. South from Houhera is a strip (i miles long, and averaging _ mile in width. Finally there is a long strip on the shore of the Bay of Plenty, from Tauranga Harbour to the Waiaua River beyond Opotiki, 92 miles in length, with an average breadth of 37 chains. (b.) Taranaki. (Area of Dunes, 6,333 Acres.) From south of the mouth of the River Mokau are scattered areas extending to New Plymouth, with an area of about 11,621 acres. From about 8 miles north of Cape Egmont are also scattered areas extending to Patea, having an acreage of about 4,712 acres. (c.) Hawke's Bay. (Area of Dunes, 5,345 Acres.) The dune areas are mostly small. They are situated at the mouth of the River Waiapu ; on the shore of Poverty Bay; at Pukenui Beach, 6 miles north of Table Cape; near the township of Mahia; a strip 5 miles in length on either side of the mouth of the River Nuhaka, having an average width of \ mile; on the beach at AVaimarama, 8 miles south of Cape Kidnapper ; at the mouth of the Porangahau River; near Cape Turnagain. ((I.) Wellington. (Area of Dunes, 92,270 Acres.) A belt extends right up the coast from Paekakariki to Patea, a distance of about 170 miles. From the mouth of the River Manawatu to that of the Wangaehu there is an average width of about miles and a greatest width of about 6 miles. There are also small areas on the shores of Wellington and Porirua Harbours, and at Lyell, Haughton, and Island Bays. (e.) Nelson. (Area of Dunes, 4,515 Acres.) The most important dune area is at Farewell Spit, with a length of 14 miles and an average breadth of § mile (see Napier Bell, 62). There are also small areas at West Wanganui Inlet, Cape Farewell, Golden Bay, and Tasman Bay. (/.) Marlborough. (A.rea of Dunes, 1,500 Acres.) A narrow belt extends from the Ure River, 14 miles south of Cape Campbell, for a distance of 12jr miles, having an average width of 7 chains. Another narrow belt extends from the mouth of the River Clarence for 3_ mili-s to Waipapa, Point. ((/.') Canterbury. (Area of Dunes, 8,755 Acres.) The most important area extends for a distance of 24 miles from 3 miles north of the River Ashley to the Sumner Estuary. Ancient dunes lie inland to the west of this belt, and divided from it by the Avon and Styx Rivers. There are small areas at Gore Bay, near Lake Ellesmere; at certain bays of Banks Peninsula, and at about 3 miles south of Timaru, near the Normanby Station. Inland is an area near Lake Tekapo. (/;.) Otago. (Area of Dunes, 5,325 Acres.) The must extensive dunes are scattered areas from Taiaroa Head to near the mouth of the' Taieri River, comprising 1,310 acres. Smaller areas are at Waikouaiti, Waitati, and Purakanui. There are important areas in Central Otago, notably on the banks of the Clutha River, at Tarras (700 acres), at Lowburn (200 acres), at Cromwell (700 acres), and scattered areas between Alexandra and Clyde, extending for about 6 miles by an average breadth of 2 miles. (i.) Southland (Area of Dunes, 4,910 Acres). The dune areas are—Near the mouth of the Waikawa River, at Haldane Bay, between Black Point and Waipapa Point (920 acres), from Waipapa Point to Toetoes Bay (1,390 acres), from the New River Estuary to Orepuki (1,800 acres), and from the Waiau River westwards. (j.) W 7 estland. A quite narrow belt faces the shore for miles in many places, but the sand-supply is very limited, and the dunes are of little moment. (k.) Stewart Island. I have no details as to areas. There are extensive dunes at Mason Bay on the west, various small areas on the east, and a remarkable series of ancient dunes in the valleys of the Rivers Freshwater and Rakiahua and inland from the Mason Bay dunes. (I.) Chatham Island. Wherever the coast is not rocky there are dune areas, those of the east coast especially being of considerable extent, and fed by an abundant sand-supph. (See Cockayne, 84.) (m.) The Subantarctic Islands. Dunes, and these of no great extent, are found only facing the sandy shore of Enderby Island, near the boat-shed for use of castaways.