Board has been faced with the provision of car parking areas, storage, toilet and shelter facilities both at Whakapapa and at the mountain terminal of Bruce Road. This type of problem is likely to demand considerable attention by the Park Board for some time yet, though excellent progress has been made and the co-operation of the mountain clubs has been appreciated.

In view of the “urbanisation” of the Chateau area, the Authority visited the Ohakune mountain road approach to Blyth Hut with a view to seeing whether this side of Ruapehu should accommodate the increasing demand for skiing and other facilities. Although Ohakune interests have done splendid work in improving road access, this has not yet extended sufficiently far to make the southern snowfields sufficiently accessible to permit of ready use and development.

The Board is planning the reservation and demarcation of Wilderness Areas and also for a botanical garden in close vicinity of the Chateau.

It issues a six–monthly Newsletter which provides much interesting information to visitors and during the year the Lands and Survey Department has issued an excellent folded map of the Park with a great fund of information in letterpress.

Egmont National Park. 80,681 acres. Vote, £5,850. Hotel problems have been the main concern of this Park Board during the year and marked improvements in accommodation facilities have been made. The Board has prepared a progressive plan for a five-year development design to improve the amenities of the Park.

Abel Tasman National Park. 40,622 acres. Vote, £2,540 Improved facilities have been provided at Totaranui, and the question of access at the southern Marahau approach to this Park is receiving attention.

Nelson Lakes National Park. 139,833 acres. Vote, £6,423 During the year the Nelson Lakes National Parks Board was established and a good deal of attention has been devoted to problems concerning previous rights and privileges existing in the Lake Rotoiti area. At this location a ranger's house has been erected.

Arthur's Pass National Park. 239,152 acres. Vote, £5,320. The activities and interest in this Park resemble in many respects those of the Tongariro National Park. Skiing is a predominant interest on which much time, money and effort are spent by a number of alpine organisations. At Arthurs Pass itself there are often large influxes of visitors for short periods for which amenities are being gradually provided. An area has been prepared for a Museum and Hall, the erection of which will be proceeded with during 1959. The Park Board has produced a very attractive handbook dealing with the scenic and natural history features, tracks, maps, etc., of the Park. A botanical garden is maintained close to the main road at Arthur's Pass township.

Mt. Cook National Park. 151,800 acres. Vote, £5,720. The Board has been largely concerned with getting its headquarters established at the Hermitage, where housing for rangers has had to be built. An alpine garden is in process of being formed in close proximity to the Hermitage and the compilation of a handbook is in progress.

Fiordland National Park. 2,959,793 acres. Vote, £5,247. The Fiordland National Park Board was officially established during the year and is immediately faced with a large number of problems in a most difficult area. With the small staff available and even with every assistance from honorary rangers, it is impossible to see how a really effective control can be exercised over such a large area of such difficult terrain and wet climate. It is, however, worthy of mention that more scientific attention has been devoted to this Park recently than to all the others. In view of representations made by the Royal Society at its 1958 Annual Meeting concerning destruction brought about by the grazing of natural tussock grassland in the Eglinton Valley, the Authority asked Professor L. W. McCaskill to visit, survey and report on this area. In his report Professor McCaskill considers the Conservation Committee's report to be erroneous and recommends continuation of the present policy in regard to grazing leases with annual checks of the effect of the grazing on the vegetation. The New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association reported details of the surveys of the occurrence of red deer and wapiti made by its members in the Park during 1958. The Authority is considering the efficacy of the method of control of numbers of these animals as adopted by the Association.

General Mr. R. W. Cleland, formerly park ranger at Arthur's Pass, has been appointed Supervisor of National Parks, in which capacity his duties will involve training of rangers, assisting Park Boards with their development programmes, and advising the Authority in numerous matters arising in connection with National Park administration.

Scientific Matters. The Botany Division and the Geological Survey of D.S.I.R. have undertaken to provide detailed reports on the botany and geology of all National Parks progressively in future years and to assist in the compilation of the smaller handbooks of each park which the Authority intends to have published.

Investigations of the Takahe continue, Dr. Orbell having located a new colony, and the Internal Affairs Department has been successful in rearing three notornis chicks removed from the Te Anau area in the spring of 1958.