AN ISLAND OF DREAMS.

Shannon News, 24 February 1922, Page 4

AN ISLAND OF DREAMS.

AND THE REAL FACTS

Kapiti! What visions of loviness. does this island's name conjure in oui minds as we journey past it, travelling by train 30 miles north of Wellington. Its historic memories as the mighty Te Rauparalra's stronghold will always live. From that island arose the war rior war cry, faintly wafted on the breeze, to the quaking mainland natives, preluding death and destruction near and far. But now it is devoted, we think, at last to peace, to birds and bush, as it has for many years been a declared bird and forest sanctuary, where the bushman’s razor-edged axe, once so deftly swung, lies rusty and haftlcss by the shore, and the forest monarch no longer comes crashing to the ground, to raise discordant, protesting calls ’ from the bush birds; where the sturdy whaler once held high carousal, and where the destroying fire no longer raises its sinister cloud to the sky. No, all surely lies at peace in the recuperative and nourishing lap-of Nature. We bless a benign Government for a work well and carefully done. In imagination we almost hear the w r onderful song of the bell birds, | floating a mile out to sea across the placid waters —probably the most wonderful bird song known. The gentle whu! whu! of the lazy, well-contented pigeons as they leisurely and in security fly from limb to limb in quest of their easily earned daily sustenance. We can almost hear the deafening chorus of thousands of tuis who whistle in joyous tones emphasising their gladness in Jinding a resting place at last from the white man's gun. The kakas, too, and numerous small fry make the bush as though alive with life. But alas! let us raise the curtain and see the island, as it really stands. The writer, says Capt. E. V. Sanderson, in the Forest Magazine, has paid many visits to this island, the last in 1914, when the Internal Affairs Department in response to a strong agitation, undertook to have all goats and cats destroyed, also the rabbits which had got a hold on a small adjoining island under four acres in extent, and

might possible reach the island. The Department undertook then to erect a fence between the native sheep farm-

ers who occupy 600 acres at the North end, and the remaining 4.000 acres of sanctuary, in order to keep the sheep out of the preserve. Within the last few days another visit was made in conjunction with a gentleman well versed in forest and bird matters, and a press representative in order to see how the sanctuary work had progressed. What a-shock we got! No effort whatever had been made to carry out the promised improvements. Some 3,000 odd sheep and innumerable goats had destroyed all young forest growth. The wind was thus enabled to help in the destruction, and many acres of matured bush, mostly rata, had died owing to the loss of the warm, nourishing forest humus of ferns, leaves, etc., and where once it was a hard battle to force a way through the undergrowth, it was now like walking underneath a canopy with no obstruction underneath. Goats are browsers, not grass feeders, and one can get a good object lesson by putting one of these animals in a garden for a couple of hours.

The forest is, with small exception, denuded of undergrowth; and when the present trees reach old age and die, the forest dies, as nothing is there to replace any mortalities. This decay is, moreover, being accentuated, as I have said, bv the winds. Ail this has happened because the Crown has failed to incur a maximum expenditure of £3O on the dividing fence. The residents claim they have done their half, and arc apparently in accord with the sanctuary idea, judging by the large number of ducks close handy to their homestead, and by reports from other sources. No energy appears to have been devoted to the extermination of the goats, which are quite tame,

Opossums, which were unfortunately let loose on the island, have destroyed all konini trees, old and young, through keeping the leaves stripped off, and are devouring much bird bery food. Very few birds remain on the island, only three pigeons, about three dozen tuis, one kaka, a few green parrots, and some bell birds were seen in two days, owing to the destruction of food. The residents say the birds at times could be caught by hand owing to weakness from hunger. Wekas, however, which are ground feeders, have increased wonderfully, but they are the only exception.

We have robbed the birds of tremendous areas of bush on the mainland. Are we not patriotic enough to give them a last secure resting place on this small island se\’on miles by one mile in area, in order that our children and children’s children may see and learn what New Zealand was really like when their daring fore-fathers first setfoot in this land of ours?