Overview
Thurs. July. 12.
Lovely day, clear calm and mild. Up at 5.45, milked cow + got ready for visit to Wgton. Maud gave me a good breakfast. Left for rlystn [railway station] on bike at 7.10 + caught the early train (8.47) to Wellington. Arrived at 10.50 + took tram to Lambton Station. Just missed Seatoun car so took one to Miramar (11.30) and walked on through tunnel to Pass of Branda (11.50) to save time. At 12.noon I was taking the first of the series of photos for which I had travelled over 60 miles to secure viz. 1/2pl[ate]. photo (1) Breaker Bay from western side. On getting round point past quarry found large gang of “unemployed” carrying out the will of a vandal + pride-inflated City Council in making the new Seatoun-Lyall Bay Road by benching into the seaward side of the magnificent 1855 raised beach – this unnecessary work, nominally for the sake of the “unemployed”, but in reality to permit this extravagant city to boast the possession of a longer marine motor drive by one mile ? than that at Bywash, Pa. USA? A five minutes outflow of strong language only eased my feelings a trifle. 1/2pl. photo (2) of the high part of the 1855 beach at head of little bay below Beacon Hill, looking SW. [southwest] from hillside. Also (3) General view of coast in direction of Palmer Hd. [Head] from same spot. The road-
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benching process to date had been carried as far as the razor-backed spur + immediately north of this spot the new cut in the side of the 1855 trench, showed it to consist of angular detritus instead of the usual well-rounded cobbles. Just south of Razor-back Spur”, I took a close-up view (4) of the 1855 beach-ridge showing the typical form of the ridge and the smooth cobbles of which it is composed. Photo (5) of the 1855 beach-ridge +c looking NE [northeast] showing Beacon Hill +c in distance. Beyond this I was able to correct + add to my map of May last. At Palmer Head I climbed to top of old sea-cliff and from this point of vantage noted that the stratification of the raised-shore-platform is here quite distinct, the Jura-trias beds being neatly vertical + striking NE-SW (about N 40° E). From the western side of the bay west of Palmer Head, I took photo (6) showing Palmer Hd. and its beach deposits in profile the latter being on two distinct levels so that the 1855 beach has the appearance of a terrace jutting out from the foot of the old sea-cliff, and there is a steep slope down to the level of the present day storm beach. Proceeded along the shore to the fisherman’s village (1.pm) at “Peninsula Pt.” making a number of corrections to map. Climbed the rugged salient of the old sea-cliff above “Peninsula Pt” + took photo (7) of the
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peninsular area of raised shore-platform. Then went to a spot on crest of old sea-cliff a little further to the north + took a more comprehensive birds-eye view (8) of “Peninsular Pt.”. Walked on to the peninsula + made a closer examination of it. In common with all other areas of raised shore-platform of this coast, the peninsula represents a base-levelled portion of the adjoining hills, in this case a long spur, over 1/4 mile in length + more than 12 chns. in width. A few portions of the core of the spur, not completely consumed by the waves, survive as stacks. After the base-levelling + prior to the 1855 uplift, a beach-ridge of storm-tossed single was piled upon the shore-platform of marine abrasion. At “Peninsula Pt.” the platform being sea-girt on three side[s] + practically so on the fourth also, the beach ridge assumed an annular form, with an unbroken outer glacis + a similar inner slope, a large stack standing in the depression in the centre. By the uplift, the beach-ridge formed prior to 1855 was removed from the reach of the waves and the storm beach of the present marine cycle gradually accumulated here + there on the outer margin of the peninsula area of raised shore-platform, especially on the isthmus where the new beach ridge is really a double feature being
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piled up from both sides. At spring tides + during storms the isthmus is still practically submerged. ½ plate photo (9) of the 1855 beach-ridge in front of the fishing village, viewed from isthmus with present day storm beach in foreground; + (10) another view of ditto from landward end of isthmus of “Peninsula Pt.” looking east. The weather remained perfect and I had every chance of securing a good series of views. Today the tide was high as it was on the occasion of my previous visit. Left fishing village at 2.20pm + tramped round towards Lyall Bay. North of “Peninsula Pt.” the 1855 raised beach occurs as a grassy terrace as far as the dunes of blown sand which it is lost to view. At the eastern side of Lyall Bay, just north of the rocks of the raised shore-platform, the present day gravel beach extends along the slightly cliffed seaward margin of the dunes as a thin narrow strip of pebbles. This finally peters out and the sandy beach is dotted with small [stones?] + further on these give place to pure sand. Reached tram route at 2.45 + caught a car into town. Made a few purchases including fiction + N.Z.G.S. Bulletins +c. – the latter at Govt. Printing Office where a delay caused me to miss the 4.15 train home. Walked along to the Olympia Motor Show held in
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the Harbour Board’s new big store at Pipitea Point. Very interesting display but would have preferred a companion. Caught 6.pm train to Levin – read “Elsie Venner” by O.W. Holmes. Cycled home + found all well. A most successful day.