A Tour of the North Island

Cromwell Argus, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3482, 16 August 1937, Page 5

A Tour of the North Island

(Contributed). DARGAVILLE JO At LRLAND. it rained at Dargavilie with such consistent solidarity ot purposes that I began to doubt whether 1 would get away. I thought, however, that the roads in this locality must surely bo a little better than those further North, and so they proved. At breakfast, I met Tommy the Maori. Ho was a very typical native and a most excellent sort. He hud been well educated ami had been spending the Christmas at Auckland in playing in a. Tennis Tournament. In spite of all the efforts of the whiteman's education, Tommy was still essentially native and started the day with a breakfast of fish, then more fish, and I believe if anything else had been required, it would have been fish again. Tommy was a native of i Whangarei, and was accompanying a traveller friend on a trip up North. After breakfast, wo went outside together while 1 put some things in the ear. After one look at the big car, Tommy decided he w ould prefer to go back to Whangarei and so he did, leaving his former companion to travel on alone. I was very pleased that Tommy came with me. It was still raining when we set out and we had not gone many miles when an A.A. sign indicated that the ! road was closed. Tommy knew a way round, so round wo went up hill and down dale. The mist was thick in I places, the rain heavy and the road narrow. We seemed to be going along and over an endless succession i of hog back ridges, but Tommy' was ' evidently familiar with it aJI and I j did not doubt but that we would eventually reach Whangarei if we did j not fall off the road. We passed J through some wilderness of gumlands which Tommy told me had already been dug over three times. They certainly look uninviting enough. 1 was able to get quite a lot of information from Tommy regarding the native viewpoint on many subjects. The Labour Government was very popular, and the natives w'ero much happier under the new state of affairs. The old native ways were losing ground and mixed marriages were becoming more common. These mixed marriages are not viewed with favour from within the tribe, but nevortholess they are increasing rapidly. The native was being permeated with the white man’s civilization, and the number of true Maoris was now exceedingly small. Amongst the younger generation, there were only a few who had any substantial knowledge of the native language. There was a decided tendency ui the rising generation to forget they were Maoris at all. Pride of race was not what it used to bo. There was not much to be seen on this cross-country tnp, and visibility was obscured by ram and mist. Approaching Whangarei, there are some good farm lands and Tommy pointed out some native *ands being used as dairy farms by their native owners. I must admit that they were quite up to par with their neighbours, and I do not recollect ever having seen better kept native properties. It was still raining heavily in Whangarei, but the town was busy nevertheless. Tommy’s local knowledge again became useful for he rapidly hunted up the best tea-shop in the Northland. Anvwav, it was the best I struek.

Right up-to-date and a service that would hold its own in Auckland.

Tommy knew everyone in the shop and apparently everyone who came into the shop. After this matter was duly completed. T set out once more in the rain for Auckland. I was sorry to leave Tommy behind, but the radio weather reports led me to believe that I would run out of the had weather and T did not want to delay further in Whangarei. I derided to run down the Rust coast through Watpd coves and although hv doin-j so. 1 exchanged a good road for a had oik-. I was Aery pleased 1 did. There had just been a mighty storm all down the coast.

There was water cv erywhore and still a tolerably high wind blowing, but the rain had stopped and I was able fff >%t the camera out. Waipu coves were marvellous pictures. The sky was still black and lowering, the headlands were covered with dark green vegetation, and the Pohutas a vivid splash of dark red colour, while the breakers beat up an angry white J foam on the yellow, sandy lieaches. ] The colour effects were inspiring and the angry setting finished off a magnificent spectacle. The going was slow and greasy. At one place the load was blocked bv a tree which had been blown down overnight, but fortunately it was small enough for me to be able to remove. A new cutting of about 50 yards length in one up hill stretch was just a quagmire and I was very lucky to get through. Fortunately there were no slips of any magnitude as the country on the whole seems fairly solid. 1 could not get 1 many opportunities of looking over the country inland, hut some- of it that I saw looked good. As a stretch of country I should say it was the best in the Northland. As the road approaches Auckland some very pretty coastal scenes come into view. Waiwera first to impress me. It is situated in a wonderful setting - . A little bay and settlement between two high ridges, and one can look down right on top of it. I should say it would be very popular in summer, but it is just far enough away from Auckland. Some miles further on there is a long straight lvach, Orewa, This was obviously one of Auckland's watering places and campers seemed to be invited with every attraction. If all the camp sites I saw were occupied at once I do not kn<vi- who would be left in Auckland. This beach is obviously one of the >K'st. Apparently it is also a safe I (each for 1 could see no warning notices and there were a goodlv number oT bathers in evidence. The water must be warm because the day was sfc«ll dull and the I rain did not appear to be far away. ' It was not the sort of day to encourI age bathers. After this, and in to

Auckland, the-re is « '»* <>f poor country again. Much n«f it i*» scantily settled and nothing but, wide open spaces* Before reaching Devonport. 1 saw a delightful smash-up at a most clangorous intersection. A side road debouches noon the main road at rkrht an tries iust at a point where the the best, road man ever I have seen There is apparently -nothing to show th<> driver on tin* side road either that he is approaching- a main road

jor which way the main road goes. f Some unfortunate had come down the i side road and driven right across the main road and down the bank on the other side. The car then proceeded to catch fire. The occupants were pretty badly injured. Apparently, there are still a few road accidents which cannot be blamed on speed and drink. To get from Dcvonport to Auckland you cross the harbour by what the Auckland j>coplo call the Ferry. It is a glorified edition of the barges they have at Pahia and Kohukohu, only you do not get hit in the neck so hard by the owner. It is marvellous | to see the amount of traffic that these ferries earn.* across. There seemed to be never ending of vehicles of all sorts come out of the business and then when the loading up began, the reverse process goes on until you wonder where they will find room for ' them aIL Nervous drivers must nearly have a fit. Everything goes like clockwork and there never appears to be any trouble or delay. The tlittle boat then puffs its way across and out you drive at the other side right into the city of Auckland. That night I tried out one of Auckland's Theatres and found it- compares quite favourably with the De Luxe at Wellington, and T am afraid I must admit decidedly ahead of Dunedin or Cromwell. Notwithstanding this, they seem to show the same old punk 1 pictures irrespective of localitv. I AUCKLAND TO WAIHI. I did not -waste much time in Auckland much as I would have liked to, as I wanted to get around the llauraki country while the spell of good weather held. The Auto Association reported that many roads were still blocked, but the general run of roads up that way is rather abofve average, and it is usually no hardship to detour. I set out from Auckland on a splendidly fine day to make a trip to Waihi. I had acquired one of the new shell road maps of this section of the country and it is really a wonderful production. It is by far the best road may ever I have seen I and anyone touring this locality should not bo without it. I understand the Shell Company intends to issue in the course of time a similar map for every district in New Zealand. I followed the maiu highway to Papakura and then set out eastward' , on the Clovedon road throug-h some splendid country to the Hauraki Gulf. The roads Mere in good order but evidence of the recent heavy weathcr was everywhere. This looked like good farming land and was the best 1 saw all day. They have a wonderful climate, for although there is a considerable amount of rain, it always clears up suddenly and the transition from rain to radiant sunshine is but a matter of minutes. The road is clearly marked all the way. and 1 had no difficulty whatever inti! I reached tho coastline of the llauraki Gulf.