0.—6,

All area of 479 acres of freehold land at Astrolabe was declared a private scenic reserve under section 6 of the Scenery Preservation Amendment Act, 1933, at the request of the owner, Mrs P. Moncrieff. The land is mostly in its native state, and includes a good area of bush of scenic value that is well worth preserving. It lies between two existing scenic reserves, and its declaration as a private reserve thus links up the scenic reservations along the coast in that locality. The owner's action in this matter is much appreciated. An unformed road lying between the property and the sea has been closed, and proclaimed as a permanent reserve. This area carries a strong growth of very beautiful and attractive native bush. The only reservation in the Marlborough Land District was that of a small area of 11 acres lying into the valuable Blue Duck Reserve, on the Seaward Valley Road, Kaikoura district. The area had been withheld for possible use as a public-school site, but on its being definitely ascertained that the land was not likely to be ever required for school purposes it was decided to add it to the adjoining scenic reserve. Westland reservations totalled some 3,396 acres. Some beautiful strips of bush on the Arnold River at Lake Brunner were declared scenic reserves. Special legislation was required, as the land was education reserve, and the action taken was rendered possible by the courtesy of the Education Department in allowing the areas concerned to be dealt with by the Lands Department without payment of any compensation. In the case of one of thie areas which had been leased, the lessee, Mr. N. Peat, kindly consented to surrender his interest in order that the scenic reservation might be made. A similar case was dealt with at Lake Wahapo, where an area of 850 acres of unleased educationendowment land was made available without charge for reservation under the Scenery Preservation Act. There was already at the lake a reserve of 1,450 acres recognized as one of the most beautiful reserves on the Hokitika-Waiho Gorge Road, and the addition now made completes the chain of reservations around the lake. On the Greymouth-Westport Road near Punakaiki an area of a little over 16 acres of Crown leasehold was surrendered by the lessee, Mr. R. J. Johnston, and set aside under the Act. The area is covered with dense native bush of great scenic value, and its reservation is greatly appreciated in the district. Under the terms of the arrangements entered into with the lessee the Department has securely fenced the bush area. An area of 14 acres of virgin bush was added to the Rapahoe Range Scenic Reserve. On the main highway south of Harihari the Department acquired the leasehold interest in an area of 11 acres by negotiation with the Crown lessee. In this locality, also, a further area of 191 acres was acquired. In this case it proved impossible to complete satisfactory negotiations with the lessee concerned, and it was finally decided to take the leasehold interest in the land under the provisions of the Public Works Act. The position was further complicated by reason of timber rights having been granted over the land, but with the assistance of the State Forest Service the matter of the timber rights was adjusted in a satisfactory manner. The acquisition of these areas has rendered possible the preservation of a magnificient avenue of bush along the highway. In last year's report mention was made of the surrender of various portions of Crown leaseholds in the vicinity of the Fox Glacier. This matter was completed during the year by the proclamation of five areas totalling some 1,142 acres. The lands dealt with comprise areas surrendered by Mesdames Williams and Sullivan, and Messrs. J. P. and H. Williams, and M. and J. Sullivan, and M. Carroll, to whom the thanks of the Department are gratefully tendered. One of the areas comprises land at Lake Matheson, the acquisition of which was particularly desirable as preserving the foreground of the view of the Southern Alps and the Fox Glacier as seen from the west end of the lake. An area of 74 acres of bush at Lake Kanieri was handed over to the Department by the Westland Acclimatization Society for reservation under the Scenery Preservation Act, and the necessary title adjustments were made during the year. A prominent bush-clad hill called " The Doughboy," in the Koiterangi district, was made a reserve, and the Westland reservations for the period under review were completed by the settingaside of an area of 39 acres of beautiful bush on the Nelson Creek-Kopara Road in the Lake Brunner locality. Arrangements were made during the year for the surrender from pastoral licenses of bush areas along the Lewis Pass Road on the Canterbury side. The licensees concerned, Messrs. T. A. Barrett and R. Sutherland, willingly gave their consent to the proposals, and thereby made available some 20,470 acres for reservation under the Scenery Preservation Act and 48,060 acres for reservation as permanent State forest. A scenic reserve of 9,000 acres was made in 1933, and the areas subject to the Scenery Preservation Act along the new road therefore now total 29,470 acres. A short descriptive account of the history and natural features of the Lewis Pass Road supplied by the Commissioner of Crown Lands is appended to this report. Two small freehold sections totalling 40 acres were declared to be private scenic reserves under section 6 of the Scenery Preservation Amendment Act, 1933, at the request of the owners, Messrs. Birdling and Robb and Mrs. Bates. The sections are situated on the Glendore Creek, a tributary of the Selwyn, and adjoin a small scenic reserve which was set apart last year. In the Otago Land District a bush-clad hill area of 4-06 acres near Romahapa was reserved during the year. This is steep country in heavy bush, and contains some exceptionally fine glades of ferns. An addition of some 21 acres was made to the well-known Table Hill Reserve, in the Catlins district, and two further areas were added to the reserves along the Catlins-Waikawa Road. These latter areas were made available by the State Forest Service out of provisional State forest reserves in the locality. At Pounawea, on the South Otago coast at the junction of the Catlins and Owaka Rivers, the Department in .1909 resumed a small leasehold area of a little over 4 acres and set it aside for scenic purposes. Adjoining this reserve there was some very fine bush land held under freehold title. The matter of acquiring portion of this freehold was brought under notice in 1934, and representations were later received from various people interested in the preservation of the natural beauty of Pounawea. It was arranged that the Department should survey the area, and an undertaking was given that 'the

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