In 1920, early Horowhenua settler, Rod McDonald, in his book Te Hekinga wrote: "From 300 ft Moutere, the highest sandhill on the coast, the whole run could be surveyed - not the run to be seen now, sand for a mile or more inland from the beach, but grassed hills and flats inside the one littoral dune." He was referring to grassed dunes in 1870 - raw sand in 1920 - the resuits of bad grazing practices and strong westerly winds.
