THE Daily news SATURDAY, AUGUST 29. TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 213, 29 August 1908, Page 2

THE Daily news SATURDAY, AUGUST 29. TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK.

Although fourteen years have elapsed since tme longariro I'ark was set aside as a reserve, it remained practically a term incognita until last Hummer, when the Government llad it explored in a scientific manner, in order to ascertain its possibilities irom a botanic, thermal, and scenic point of view. The work was entrusted to the capable hands, of Dr. Cockayne, tile well-known botanist, who bad associated with him Mr. K. I'lullips Turner, the Inspector of Scenic Reserves. After a thorough exploration of the region. they prepared n joint report, ill which 11 -number of suggestions for the improvement of the park were made. Tho report was approved by the linard of Trustees, and a Hill empowering the area of the park to be increased, and enabling it lo be developed in the. ue»i way to attract visitors and preserve its unique fauna and llora, is now'before the House, but whether it will reach the Statute Book this year remains to be seen. The park, which as at, present constituted consists of an area of 02,300 acres, includes witnin its boundaries the. three move or less active volcanoes Tongariro, Ngaruahce

and llnape'hit. It consists of deep gul- 1 lies anil steep slopes covered with vol- , canic cinders and ash destitute of all , plant life. Everything in connection with the park shows signs of uttar neglect. Fires are lit with impunity; animals roam at large; and the huts for visitors are damaged. The pehu mountain house consists of only I two small rooms fitted with a few bunks, and quite destitute of furniture. Tli'-'re is only one road available to the park to tie ordinary, visitor—that, from Waiouru to Tokaanu, ami there is no accommodation for horses at cither of the mountain houses. As Dr. Cockayne points out, the scenic value of a place does not depend on the contour of the hills or valleys, but upon its uniqueness, and this depends upon the plant-covering, for the more special the vegetation the more attractive the scenery; therefore no reserve that does not contain typical examples of the plant life of the region ftillils the first essential of a park. In the new bounI daries proposed, all tile defects of tilic present park will be remedied, ana me I scenery will be of a more varied char- | : actor thati that of any other equal area I in the Dominion.

. "Leaving aside the actual volcanoes, there are tile forests and collections of shrubs, ,the vast desert, sublime a:id weird, the river gorges full of forest! and of great depth—true canyons, indeed. There are the rivers, too, which all of a sudden issue from tire solid, rock, widening out into quiet pools, haunts of wild, duck, or dasl at once over their stony beds as true alpine torrents." Then, again, the forest of tooth-leaved beach trees on the tfest and south, with us open undergrowth and bright green foliage, is of quite a different type from that' on the north, witih its thin-ibarked totara trees. In the Suggested additions to the park great care has been taken not to include land suitable for close settlement or land containing milling timber. It consists on the one hand of aa association of drought-enduring plants to which the nanve "grass-steppe" may "be given, and on the otter hand of an association of stiir-stemmcd shrubs mixed with a few grasses -which may be denominated '■shrub-steppe." In the forests of the proposed new boundaiics are large ilocks of 'native birds, aim in the loose debris of the river teiratva and lava slopes mutton birds nest abundantly. !«,„« is aUo a li( ,, (] for he entomologist in the forests and shrubberies, which preserve many forms of lavertebrata.

Tlie report contain* manv excellent suggestions for the care-mid management of the park. Jt is proposed that he caretaker of llu . Jt, W)M ,] ul mou „ t . lhl house should be appointed rang;r 0 f he reserve, and that.he should be allowed to supplement his salary by actingus guide and by providing food for visitors. n also suggests that the high land on tile cast of the „•„* "•'"<* 's at present leased for pastoral l«M-pos,s,,should be resumed, as ander present conditions it will be a ncvprailmg source of danger to the park from Are. it would seem that Ur Cockayne is endeavoring i 0 mu del , ho longanro Park on the fines of tile \'"b * the United States, with Hlueii famous reserve the Ne lY Zealand one ,l ia , m . my ftJat '' common. The Yellowstone Park at \V on, 131g , I<ar M „ lv<i of at Sri .'■ "', ?' a " d is * re S io " o£ J«A»p»ngs and geysers, mountains and -yoi,, lakes iW d waterfalls. »cy ot ihe Government in uroteel »« <'d the animals to take shelter there *gaiiwt the sportsman and the ot hunter, so that, elk deer n i,,i mountain sheen l,e • 0 > snnll.-i- ~,, • ,' and numerous .sin.ill.-i game animals are therc , Jlunt an,l tame. The only l, era '"", nln t !l0 United Btat ./ ' dof n-ation. ]». Cock l av V'l^ e na7 T*""' 0f « te Sdfa« c pak, m 01 , k ,,. to , it ta"tTr. i° f tllC ~ist™ .i, win ? ho|> u < ' <l tllat M* Cover - <»'■"' "ill make the reserve i„ n,i f i• fcou f ess y, n„ i„ the eas „f Ypl f tolno . P»rK they W j|i »„'' V" ycl| owstone fed and fondl , a v ,, hp '" so,vos to '"•' "lie route of the NortT,',.,-, T, i . eompel traveller, and fo ,i~f "'l wBI fieir jonrncv i, ' , /"• Panties and to stulv"' ? d ,T e the ;„ it • s «"iy animal life with m its capacious area.