LITTLE BARRIER.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 November 1922, Page 7

LITTLE BARRIER.

AN ISLAND SANCTUARY. (By Rev. Oscar Blundell.) It has been stated in the Press recently that the Commissioner of Crown Lands for North Auckland, Mr. R. P. Greville, is reporting to the Government on the kauri gum deposits existing upon Little Barrier Island, in view of repeated applications which have been made for permission to collect the gum. From the notice of the Commissioner’s visit, if. appears that Mr. Greville considers the island to be a valuable national asset, and that it should be jealously guarded, so it is to be sincerely hoped that his report, when presented, will emphatically discourage any attempts to relax the vigilance with which the natural products of Little Barrier Island have been protected for many years past. In the interests of ouT native avifauna and flora, and for. the credit of the Dominion of New Zealand no suc<, permission as is being sought should 'be granted under any pretext.

A number of years ago, before the island was secured as a sanctuary by the Government, many kauri trees were taken oil’, and much damage done to the forest near to the coast. Time has, to a considerable extent, rectified that error, and it would be a thousand pit’es to again incur the risk of destroying the magnificent forest which clothes this remarkable island. It is safe to say that if gum diggers are permitted to exploit the deposits on Little Barrier irreparable damage will result. To secure the gum. multitudinous tracks would require to be cut all over the island; much of the beautiful undergrowth would be destroyed, and the steep hillsides disturbed. Worse than all. fires would inevitably be started, and, in a dry season, would spread far and wide, owing to the peculiar nature of the surface soil, which, over e wide area, consists of an accumulated mass of partially decayed rootlets, which covers the high, narrow ridges to a depth of eight feet or more. A great deal of the buah, is exceedingly dense, and. if cut away to get at the surface wlhere the kauri gum lies buried, it would quickly wither and dry, thus increasing the risk of fire. One shudders to think of that charming island, crowned from base to summit with glorious forest, being despoiled of its wealth of trees, shrubs and ferns, by the ravages of fire, and left a bleak and unsightly pile of naked ridges; yet such a disaster might very easily be brought about if comiTfercial vandalism were permitted to invade the precincts of that lovely sanctuary.

So impressed was the present writer by the evident danger of fire rapidly spreading on the island that, when crossing it in 1916 in company with Mr. A. H. Elkin, Auckland, it was decided to carry no matcues, and. although three nights were prssed without the comfort of a fire, it was cheerfully endured rather than that any risk of damaging the forest should be encountered.

From the summit of Little Barrier, easily reached by a good track loading from the homestead, a very beautiful and remarkable panorama, may bo seen. Steep-sided.' and profound gorges fall away on, every hand, and the "wealth of greenery of various shades affords a sight to charm the eye. A thousand feet bfelow are the rounded tops of giant kauri trees dwarfed by perspective, but standing high above the surrounding verdiiro. Every sharp, narrow ridge, every peak and pinnacle is clothed with greenery to its very summit, inviting the nature lover to explore and to inspect its treasures. One long ridge /winds across the island in a curious zig-zag fashion, and, though denselyclad like the rest, is worn excessively thin, being indeed quite cut through at one point to a considerable depth. . The view of the surrounding gulf with its numerous islands is perhaps the finest to be secured in all that region. the summit of Little Barrier standing 2400 feet above the sea.

The bird life on the island is exceedingly interesting. Little Barrier is the last refuge of the rare stitch bird, and these beautiful, sprightly creatures are not infrequently met with in all parts of the island. All the various species are very tame, and the melodious songs they sing peal through the forest aisies the whole day long.

At all costs no such deplorable error ought to he committee as to allow Little Barrier to be exploited for any commercial purpose, and the Government should make it clearly understood that this, the most important of our bird sanctuaries, is to be preserved inviolate.