“The Press” In 1867

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31330, 29 March 1967, Page 12

“The Press” In 1867

March 9

KANIERI TRAMWAY.—The “West Coast Times” says that when the Hokatika and Kanieri Tramway was first opened to the public it was found necessary to make very considerable alterations in many parts of the line, several of the curves being ill-placed and too abrupt, whilst the sides of the bridges were so unprotected that in the event of a carriage running off the rails when crossing them, its precipitation into the gulf below was unavoidable. These defects have since been remedied, and the line is now in good working order, with a daily increasing traffic, that augurs well for the future prosperity of the company. We have a vivid recollection of the miseries attending a trip to the “old Five-Mile” in by-gone times, when a road—or rather bush track, knee deep in mud, filled with

those man-traps—vines and supple-jacks —had to be travered, whilst to cross the several ugly creeks which intersected it, entailed some personal risk and demanded no slight amount of activity on the part of the unhappy pedestrian who invariably arrived at his journey’s end bespattered and begrimed with unctuous vegetable and earthy matter. But thanks to the enterprise of the company a more improved state of things has been inaugurated, and now a journey to the Kanieri, along the well-ordered tram way, is productive of nothing but pleasure—a pleasure, we may add, that is obtainable at a very small cost. At present the line extends no further than the commencement of the township, but rails are being laid along the principal streets, at the end of which it is proposed to erect a commodious and elegent terminus.