UREWERA COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 62, 15 March 1922, Page 8

UREWERA COUNTRY.

230,000 ACRES TO BE OPENED UP. The Public Works Department has now three survey parties laying off roads into the Crown lands recently bought in the Urewera, and gauge of workmen are already engaged in forming dray roads, says the "Opotiki Guardian." The area of lands to be opened up is about "230.000 acres, situated in , the Waimana and Whakatane valleys. The land in the Waimana is fairly easy of access; a motor car can l>e taken within a quarter of a mile of the first block, and a dray ', can easily be taken five miles further up, but there are several fords to cross, which are shallow in tine weather. There are flate of rich river land all the way along the frontages, which are now growing crops of healthy maize, and the Maoris say that maize seldom gets frosted in this part of the valley. The has seen maize cobs hanging ripe in the mojith of May, while the leaves were stil! green. The present road, after leaving the Waimana Pa, wanders round the river bed through the Tahora station and thence on to the Crown land. A better road will probably be had later on by going through the back flats, which will be much shorter and be well away from flood level. A few miles after passing the station the road crosses the river and then.goes through the Matahi Flats for some miles, where the formation should be light, as most of it has been cultivated for maize and other crops. While there is much land on the hills fit for grazing there are many thousands of acres of steep country fit only for forest reserves, and it is to be hoped that the Lands Department will not attempt to have this bush destroyed, as it will means the destruction not only of this land but what soil is now covering the rocks will be carried down, to the disadvantage of dairying land lower down the valley.