The types of vegetation developed on the cliff faces reflect more the type of land-owner management than the interaction of natural processes. Where grass is dominant, buffalo occurs near the littoral fringe, with kikuyu supplanting it higher upslope. Scrub, particularly common towards Cape Rodney, includes mingimingi (Cyathodes fasciculatus), teatree, and kawakawa (Macropiper excelsum) as well as exotic gorse (Ulex europaeus). Grass or scrub may grade into coastal forest components.

There tends to be a correlation between slope and species composi-tion (and land management), such that slopes <40° are mostly grassed, slopes 40-50° support shrubs and trees, while steeper slopes bear scrub or no plants. The type of rock appears not to be a major factor in determining the type of community it supports, except insofar as the nature of the erosion surface is concerned (Cornforth 1975).

LAND USE AND PUBLIC ACCESS The predominant land use in the area is farming — of beef cattle and

sheep, while at the University of Auckland Marine Laboratory, people are engaged in research activities (see section on Leigh Laboratory). Overall there are few buildings and the coastal landscape is distinctively rural in character. Indeed, land use has changed relatively little since 1953. At that time, judging from aerial photographs, there were at Goat Island Bay (which is the most accessible area), two houses and three baches or cottages. Today, the only additions are a house, the buildings of the laboratory, and a toilet and changing facility above the beach. This lack of 'development' is typical of this stretch of coastline (though there have been changes in vegetation cover near Cape Rodney), and is due, in part, to limited road access, which is of poor quality, recent county regulations and maintenance of grazing on the university-owned pasture land (Cornforth 1975). Seven land-owners own the property adjacent to the Marine Reserve, 52ha of which is university land.

A recent report of the Auckland Regional Authority (1974) advocated the preservation of the rural character of the foreshore and hinterland, with specific proposals in four areas, viz. 1. Planning restraints would seek to conserve the landscape through land classification and non-urban zoning. 2. Control of commercial facilities, educational establishments and housing was visualised. For example, the report advocated landscaping and judicious choice of colour for extensions to the laboratory, which would need to be kept at an operational minimum. 3. Control of recreational use would be possible through restricted access and facilities. The only land access is presently via the road to Goat Island Beach. Here there is a small car-park and limited camping and sanitary facilities which may or may not be expanded. 4. There should be conservation of natural resources e.g. bush, wildlife, marine life etc.

As the only road access to Goat Island Beach (Fig.23) and the Reserve generally, the car park at the beach is well used, often to capacity and overcrowding during summer. Tables 16 and 17 show the numbers of cars and people that have been recorded over the past three holiday seasons. Generally,

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Photograph by W.J. Ballantine.

Fig. 23: Goat Island Beach in summer. The Echinoderm Reef Flat is completely submerged at high tide.

the car-park and beach are used by twice as many people on Sundays as on Saturdays. On the most populous day yet recorded (Sunday, January 26, 1975) there were 350 people and 145 cars observed between 2.30 and 3.00pm (the normal time of observations). Comparison of numbers of cars with numbers of people gives an average of around 2-2.5 people per car. This figure has remained virtually unchanged over three years. Camping units are most abundant in January (up to 41 recorded on any one day), with campers accounting for 25-75% of all people counted at the Bay. On week-days and off-season, the beach and car-park may be deserted. Weather has a decided influence on numbers, and the long periods of rain and cold in December-January of 1975-76 were directly instrumental in reducing numbers from the year before.

Goat Island lies only 77m offshore at low tide and is readily accessible to swimmers and dinghies on calm days. There is a partly formed track on the island from the grassy slope near the broad shore platform on the SW corner, across the summit (61m), to the steep northern cliffs. Access is not restricted, but as a scenic reserve, the island is protected. In a classification system for Gulf islands, Atkinson (1973) recommended class B status for Goat Island, where "both scientific and recreational values should be considered of comparable importance".

As a part of New Zealand's walk-way system, a coastal walking trail east of the laboratory has been planned and partially formed. The aim is to provide public access to points between Goat Island and Cape Rodney, and to open up to general view the spectacular scenery. The track is routed and graded in such a way as to eliminate as much as possible any hill-climbing, while simultaneously

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PERIOD COUNTS ON CARS PEOPLE GROUPS OF DIVERS

1973-1974 av. max min av. max min av. max min Main holiday season 23/48 days 42 89 7 122 275 3 4 12 0 Sundays 4/45 days 31 55 10 61 100 16 3 5 2 Weekdays 4/227 days 5 10 3 7 10 2 0 0 0 Saturdays 3/45 days 23 32 18 50 78 29 4 5 2 1974-1975 Nov. 10-March 8 Main holiday season 46/47 days 36 145 6 94 350 11 3 20 0 Sundays 10/45 days 43 91 6 103 198 13 3 5 0 Weekdays 9/228 days 3 5 0 5 18 0 < 1 1 0 Saturdays 11/45 days 20 36 4 48 92 8 2 7 0 1975-1976 Oct 8 - A p r i l 4 Main holiday season 45/46 days 20 101 2 46 175 0 1 5 0 Sundays 19/45 days 39 72 2 95 215 3 4 17 0 Weekdays 30/229 days 3 16 0 4 35 0 < 1 2 0 Saturdays 18/45 days 17 39 3 39 94 9 2 6 0

Table 16: Numbers of people and cars at Goat Island Bay mid-spring to mid-autumn. The main holiday season is from December 25 to New Zealand Day weekend. The remaining figures are for days before and after this period only. A 'group' of divers comprises 2-10 people.

Table 17: Maximum numbers of cars, people, tents and caravans and groups of divers at Goat Island Bay, mid-spring to mid-autumn. A dashed line indicates than no data are available.

1973 1974 1975 1976 CARS Jan - 88 145 101 Feb 63 72 Mar 40 54 Apr - 72 Oct - - 20 68 Nov - 24 67 35 Dec 75 93 63 57

PEOPLE Jan - 275 350 175 Feb - - 150 199 Mar - - 108 149 Apr - 230 Oct 60 260 Nov - 148 215 90 Dec 210 215 206 120

TENTS ETC Jan - 41 39 23 Feb - - 15 9 Mar - 3 4 Apr 4 3 Oct _ 4 7 Nov 0 2 2 Dec 28 23 13 10

GROUPS OF DIVERS (2-10 people per group) Jan - 15+ 20 5 Feb - - 6 11 Mar - - 4 18 Apr - ?10+ Oct - - 6 11 Nov - 4 17 6 Dec 5 8 5 10

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leading it through or past some of the most pleasant coastal features. Hence, the track provides views of distant offshore islands on the one hand, and fern-covered streamsides on the other. A side branch leads to two moderately-sized kauri trees. The trail terminates on the shore-slope near the eastern boundary of the university property, and from here one may gain access to shores in the immediate vicinity.

THE LEIGH LABORATORY The Leigh Laboratory (Fig.24) is a department of the University of

Auckland. It is a research establishment, currently employing three research workers and four technical staff, and provides facilities for staff and students of the university and other workers. It is one of four marine stations in New Zealand, although, as recently as 1960, only one such station existed, at Portobello, near Dunedin.

The first phase in the development of the laboratory was described by Gilpin-Brown (1964). Since his account is not widely available, much of it is quoted directly below.

". . . . a few months after his appointment as Professor of Zoology at the University of Auckland, Dr J.E. Morton proposed that the University should build one [a marine station]. This idea he subsequently enlarged in his Inaugural Lecture in September, 1960, when he suggested that it should be built jointly by the Botany and Zoology Departments. The first tentative plan was proposed soon afterwards, and the site determined early in 1961. In April of that year the University Grants Committee gave a grant-in-aid of £6,000; and detailed planning began. This was undertaken by the School of Architecture and their third year students under the supervision of Mr Peter Middleton, who later took charge of the building. By the beginning of 1962, the section had been acquired and a design approved. In addition the University Council approved a grant of £1,500 for the project. Building began in the middle of the year and the roof was raised, with appropriate ceremony, on November 28th. By the end of January, 1963 the building was virtually complete."

At this stage the laboratory comprised the present dining and kitchen area, main laboratory and inside tank room only. The Leigh Marine Laboratory Committee was set up by Council to manage the laboratory, in November 1963, and the laboratory was officially declared operational on April 1, 1964.

At this point further development was held up for lack of finance. The then Chancellor of the university, Sir Douglas Robb, made the suggestion that some benefactor might wish to donate the £7,000 required to complete the project. An Auckland industrialist, Mr (later Sir) J.R. Butland, came to the rescue, giving £10,000 for the building of what was called the Butland Lab. (named in his honour), and the salary for two years of a planktologist. The wing was built in 1965 and a phytoplanktologist (Dr F.J. Taylor) commenced research in 1966.

Meanwhile, in 1965, Dr W.J. Ballantine was appointed as resident biologist. A grant-in-aid of £4,000 from the University Grants Committee made possible the building of the ablutions block and bunkrooms, also in 1965. Running and special and research grants ensured operation of the laboratory at a basic level, with the purchase of equipment for research, and books for the

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