The Otautau Standard AND WALLACE COUNTY CHRONICLE. Wednesday, June 7TH, 1905. MARAROA RIVER ROUTE AND CROSSING.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume 1, Issue VI, 7 June 1905, Page 2

The Otautau Standard AND WALLACE COUNTY CHRONICLE. Wednesday, June 7TH, 1905. MARAROA RIVER ROUTE AND CROSSING.

The bridging of the Mararoa River at the'^Kcys," on the line of road leading into the Western lake series, has been broached. It is a work m the^exVC'itidn of which we are vitally interested. The advertised route tpthese lakes is by Mossburn, but that Vises Out Jof a combination of Circumstances, rapidly . disappearing. Mossburn is the early route, and as such, it acquired, its prestige before the road by Otautau was known pr,' all events, well understood. Ignorance on these points no longer existsV^ The road through Merrivale. and the valley df the Waiau is becoming a traffic route of importance: It taps the rich alluvial flats of trie Waiau, and brings new .editions ol- scenic novelties into the scheme of tourist enterprise. Under |6e latter^ we enumerate Waiau limestone^ave;? 4 , -the contorted recesses of which have not yet been fully explored. West ot the river we get a chain of lakes hi thertp. unknown, beyond the fact that they are lakes of great natural .beauty. Up towards the, confluence of the lakes proper, there are extensive areas of bench-country, affording immense demonstration m the geology of (\raiied beaches'. " These, on scientific ground-;, offer strong induce- j ments to tli2 travelling public, and the nibre we are able to tnake them kndws,Vttie,.more they will be sought aftec^lndependent altogether of its. merits 'm "variety show country," dsfati alternative route, the road by ptautau is -important to^ the lakes traffic. At present the lakes and their fairned ;.. environment'' can only be exploited V by the .tourist at the expense of retracing liis steps— that is to say, -he must be content fo go and come by. the same road. . In tourist traffic that of itself is objectionable. It maizes one half of the excursion' stale, -if ; not unprofitable. The V round turn "- or ,( f circular route "is fybatis winted, and,, thg alternative route by Otautau will,, toa great exr i tent; 'supply 'the . w^nt, /Jhe. chief drawback, however, is the Mararoa River ;.crosSing«.* Elidased amongst 'liitls^,P.ne ; cannot diy&st his ; mind of the Y horror^ of a rhoutitain torrent, and the bare idea of having to breast such a stream m all kinds of weather, is sufficient* to deter many Irom making the journey. -The danger, it is true, is more apparent than real, still the imagination, once excited, discards discriminations, and m time the danger magnifies- itself into an insurmountable * * obstacle. List seaso!< , s. traffic showed 3 a slight fallirigvdffl §Z4 - t V c P nl y way to check the : downward- grade and restore perfect; confidence, is to remove all cause for '■. alarm. /'.! 'ln, dealing with, their northern senatorial re sorts* the go vf ernment;h'aS""shown great promptitude, and nothing has ; been left to ' fortuitous circu nstances. What we ask is, that southern resorts njay be dealt -wi li m a similarly energetic manner. '..'.