C.—lo.

APPENDIX.

REPORTS OF NATIONAL PARK BOARDS. TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK BOARD. (W. Robertson, Under-Secretary for Lands, Chairman.) Meetings of the Board were held in Wellington on Ist September, 1932, and 10th March, 1933, to deal with the general business of the Board. In addition, meetings of the special committee set up by the Board to consider claims arising out of the Ruapehu Mountain disaster and other special accounts were held on the 14th April and Ist July, 1932. A conference was also held on Ist September, 1932, with representatives of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand to discuss safety measures in mountain-climbing. Poled Route between Ohakune Mountain Hut and Chateau. The poled route along the bush-line between the Ohakune Mountain Hut and the Chateau Mountain Track at Lower Scoria Flat is becoming more popular with mountaineering parties. Further work on this route has been carried out—viz., mile-posts 8 ft. high, have been erected along the line from the turn-off to the Ohakune Hut, and signs have been placed on these poles indicating the distance to the Chateau. The four hundred poles which line the route were examined and left securely in position. Two hundred of these are of beech timber, and will require to be replaced with silver-pine poles. The distance from the Chateau to the Ohakune Mountain Hut has been measured and is 5f chains short of fourteen miles. The distance from the Chateau to the turn-off at Lower Scoria Flat is three miles. A track for horse traffic was cut through the bush fgr half a mile on the southern side of the Mangaturuturu Valley. A small bridge is required before it is fit, for use. The further sum of £11 9s. out of the Mayor of Auckland's Searchers' Fund which was kindly donated to the Board was used in helping to defray the cost of these works. Roadworks. Excellent progress has been made in the construction of the Scoria Flat Road. One and a quarter miles has been metalled, another mile constructed, and the grade outlined for another half-mile. Winter Sports and Excursions to the Park. The following clubs have kindly submitted short accounts of visits by their members to the park during the year under review, and extracts from these accounts are quoted : — Ruapthu Ski Club, Inc.—The Ruapehu Ski Club, Inc., held its twentieth annual winter sports excursion to the Tongariro National Park from 19th to 30th August, 1932, when eighty-five members took part. The meeting was an outstanding success, snow and weather conditions being excellent, and the event was quite a red-letter one in the history of the club and of winter sports in New Zealand. The visit of the Australian slalom champion, Mr. T. W. Mitchell, of the Ski Club of Victoria, and of Mr. S. G. Tennant, a member of the Ski Club of Great Britain was an added attraction, and their reputation as skiers drew a large numbei of spectators for the championship events, when expectations were fully rewarded, Mr. Mitchell's performance in the slalom being especially outstanding. The fourth annual contest for the New Zealand Amateur Ski Championship was run from 24th to 26th August, and the meeting was held for the first time in co-operation with the ski sub-committee of the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand, but the full organization fell to the Ruapehu Ski Club, which, as on previous occasions, invited each of the other club parties present to appoint a representative to act with the sports' committee. A party of thirteen members visited Mangatepopo Hut during Labour Day week-end (October, 1932). but on account of the unfavourable weather conditions the only trip made was to the south crater of Mount Tongariro. However, some of the members who were able to remain longer made an ascent of Mount Ngauruhoe and a tour of the summit of Mount Tongariro. Other members made private visits to the park, both at Christmas and at Easter. Tararua Tramping Club, Inc.—August, 1932 : The annual winter-sports trip of the Tararua Tramping Club, Inc., to the Tongaiiro National Park was held from the 20th to 30th August, 1932. On this occasion members of the Hutt Valley and Manawatu Tramping Clubs combined with the Tararua party. Excellent weather conditions were responsible for one of the most successful visits ever made to the National Park. The party concentrated on the ski-ing, and were fortunate in being able to ski on every day of their stay. Most of the party had received considerable benefit from preliminary weekend practices held on the local ski-ing grounds, near the Kime Memorial Hut, in the Tararua Ranges behind Otaki, and the park trip capped a very successful season.

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