C—6.

Session 11. 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS: SCENERY-PRESERVATION. REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st MARCH, 1912; TOGETHER WITH STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS AND SCHEDULE OF LANDS ACQUIRED AND RESERVED DURING THE YEAR UNDER THE SCENERY PRESERVATION ACTS.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly pursuant to Section 17 of the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908.

Sir, — Department of Lands, Wellington, Ist June, 1912. I have, the honour to submit herewith report on scenery-preservation for the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1912. I have, &c, John Strauchon, The Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, F.R.G.S., Under-Secretary for Lands. Minister in Charge of Scenery-preservation.

KBPOET.

During the twelve months ended the 31st March, 1912, an unusually large area of land was acquired and reserved under the Scenery Preservation Act, 1908, and the amendment of 1910. This was partly due to the fact that a pastoral run of over 40,000 acres was included in the reservations, and also because 29,000 acres of hilly and mountainous Crown land in the Westland District were also proclaimed under the Act. Deducting these areas leaves about 25,000 acres scattered throughout the Dominion which, during the year, was added to the existing scenic reserves, and ranks as a permanent addition to the beauty-spots of New Zealand, which are already a source of aesthetic pleasure to the visitor and resident, and in the years to come will be looked upon as one of the most valuable heritages of the people bequeathed to them by the foresight of the Government of the present day. New Reservations. Ninety-six separate reserves were made, aggregating 94,000 acres, and the most interesting of them may be briefly described. In the Auckland District the beautiful Hongi's Track, between Lakes Roto-iti and Roto-ehu (near Rotorua), is at last preserved, both as a specimen of lovely bush scenery and as a memento of the famous raid of the northern Maori warrior when he descended upon the Maoris of Rotorua and captured their pa on Mokoia Island. Part of the slopes of the Ngongotaha Mountain at Rotorua were proclaimed, the land being already the property of the Crown, but the Native area has not yet been acquired. Three areas near the Waitomo Caves have been reserved, one completing the caves reservation, another being bush land in close proximity, and the third being situated on the road from Hangatiki Station to the caves. A beginning has been made with the scenic reservations on the banks of the Mokau River, the whole area of the Mangoira Nos. 1 and 2 Blocks having been taken; but this is merely in order to save expense in acquisition, as only the strip of land along the bank of the river will be retained, the balance of the land being available for settlement as soon as the necessary survey is completed and approved. A pleasing feature of the year's operations was the purchase of the Coronation Scenic Reserve at Whangarei, where the Crown and the Whangarei Borough Council jointly bought 117 acres of private land by agreement with the owner, each party contributing half the purchase-money. The Wellington City Council had previously acted in a similar manner

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