C.—6.

With the consent of the Education Department an area of 652 acres 2 roods 18 perches of educationendowment land in Mangonui County was declared to be subject to the Scenery Preservation Act. It is broken country in mixed bush, and comprises practically the only remaining forest area in that part of the district. The reserve is a catchment area for the Toa Stream, which gives a steady flow of pure water for the farming-lands lower down, and in times of heavy rain helps to lessen the flooding that is a serious problem in the Mangonui district. The Toa Stream joins up with the Parapara Stream a tributary of the Awapoko River, flowing into Doubtless Bay. An adjoining area of ordinary Crown land is also being set aside, together with a small area that has been purchased from a private owner. Two other education endowments in North Auckland were also made available for scenic reservation during the year. They were— (a) An area of 365 acres in Block 11, Opuawhanga Survey District, Whangarei County, comprising broken to steep country in mixed bush with numerous small stands of kauri rikas, and a good natural regeneration of rimu and totara. The steep hillsides would quickly erode if denuded of forest cover, and it was considered very desirable that the area should be given the protection of the provisions of the Scenery Preservation Act. The reserve is situated on the Opuawhanga-Mimiwhangata Road, and there are splendid seascapes from the higher portions. (b) An area of 98 acres near Albany, Waitemata County, comprising steep and broken country in scrub and light bush with a number of fine kauri rikas. Reservations in the Auckland Land District totalled some 699 acres. In 1937 Mr. C. R. Clark offered to give portion of his property near the Marakopa Palls on condition that the Department shared the cost of clearing a fencing-line and erecting a fence. The offer was gratefully accepted, and a survey was later carried out to fix the boundaries of the gift area. The area was found to be 174 acres, and a transfer to the Crown was later completed. The Department's share of the cost of fencing was £80. The area acquired through Mr. Clark's generosity is situated across the river from the existing Marakopa Falls Scenic Reserve, and the bush forms a natural and impressive setting for the falls. An area of 49 acres 3 roods 5-1 perches of bush land at Waingarara was obtained in exchange for an area of 87 acres 2 roods 32 perches of Crown land. The newly acquired area is situated across the road from the Ohiwarau Scenic Reserve, in the Gisborne Land District, and the two reserves comprise the best piece of bush scenery in the locality. The Department shared the cost of fencing the boundary between the new reserve and the remainder of the adjoining owner's property. A bush area of 30 acres 2 roods 20 perches in the Te Miro Settlement, near Cambridge, was reserved during the year. A Proclamation was issued covering an area of 88 acres 3 roods 32 perches surrounding Shakespeare Cliff, on Cook's Bay, Coromandel Peninsula. This area was purchased in 1923 for the sum of £125, but although a transfer was taken the formal reservation of the land was overlooked at the time. This cliff was the site of Captain Cook's observation of the transit of Mercury. An area of 34 acres and 13 perches of light bush at Thornton's Bay, on the Firth of Thames, was acquired for £100. The local people contributed half the purchase price, the Department finding the balance and arranging for the survey and the transfer of the land to the Crown. Three local residents have been appointed as honorary Scenic Inspectors with a view to safeguarding the new reserve from trespass and other damage. Bush areas totalling 322 acres near Te Puke were taken for scenic purposes under the provisions of the Public Works Act. The land covers the source of the borough water-supply, and with the addition of an area of adjoining Crown land now in course of reservation and some Native land in the Otawa Block which will be acquired the watershed will be fully protected. The Borough Council is co-operating with the Department, and is to share the cost of acquisition of the freehold and Native land. In the Gisborne Land District an area of 70 acres was reserved as an addition to the Whinray Park Scenic Reserve. The area comprises a deep sheltered bush basin, and was surrendered by a Crown tenant, the Department arranging for the survey and sharing in the fencing charges. A new reserve of 96 acres was set apart on a bend of the Hangaroa River and placed under the control of the Cook County Council. The area contains a very fine stand of kahikatea. An area of 1,076 acres of education-endowment land in Patea County, Taranaki, was declared to be a scenic reserve. It comprises rugged bush-clad country traversed for about three miles by the road to Moeawatea, which there drops by a succession of curves about 1,200 ft. into the valley of the Whcnuakura. The block will make an excellent reserve, and apart altogether from the scenic aspect it is very necessary that the bush should be preserved in order to prevent slips from damaging the road. When the Greystoke Settlement, near Marton, was cut up for soldier settlement in 1916 a section of 20 acres 3 roods was withheld from disposal with a view to its reservation for scenic purposes. The area was in good bush which had always been fenced off from the rest of the estate and preserved in its virgin condition by the owners of the property. The land has since been held by the Department, and during the year the original purpose was carried out by the formal reservation of the laud under the Scenery Preservation Act. An area of 4 acres of light mixed bush at Tawa Flat was donated by Mr. J. W. Mexted a few years ago. Certain title difficulties were met with, but during the year the transfer to the Crown was completed and the land reserved. The Department has undertaken to bear the cost of all fencing required to protect the new reserve.

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