GISBORNE TO WAIKATO BY ROAD.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 91, 10 January 1908, Page 4

GISBORNE TO WAIKATO BY ROAD.

INTERESTING INFORMATION: "-. (BT. TEr.EOIIArH—SPECIAL COnnESPONUENT.I ' . i Auckland, January-9." , Mr. 11. Stringer, Secretary to the Auckland .Farmers' Freezing; Company, who has recently been investigating tho matter of a stock .'track between Gisborno and the, Wailtato, has given the result of ..his observations, to an interviewee. Mr. Stringer , stated that a good stock road had been formed from Gisborne through to Waikaremoan'a, and the road ran .through settled' country as 'fay- as' Hangaroa.: A good road went from Gisborno.as far .as Waerengaokuri. At Haiigaroa,'about 33 ■miles on the Gisborno sido' of . the Lake, .therebranched off a stock road, with A good even grade, and formed for about 23 miles. Mr. John Ford, who was stationed for. three, years in chargo of the ■ Lake House at Waikaremoana, and who knew tho district well, had recently travelled 23 miles over the stock, road, which was formal to within nine; miles of Maungapohiitu, and informed- him - (Mr. Stringer) that the road had nover been touched 'sinco it was formed. Tho result was • that the road was overgrown with scrub aud; saplings, so that lit would require to bo re-cleared beforo it would bo- of any use. Moreover, there wav not'feed for stock along the route .from Maungapohatu, said Mr. Stringer; This track would liavo numerous rivers to, cross, and at present' there were,only. Maori trackß. This was the original, Poverty ' Bay-Galatea 'stock track, but it seemed that the Government had. little, thought of doing any more to tho road. It proposed instead to connect .the Waikaremoanu Road at Aniwaniwa,- there being a good 16ft. Government surveyed road as far as the outlet* of the Hopurualiino Uiver .into, the Lake, with the exception of two baa slips,: through which a practically now road, 'would have to ,bo,out.. There was, Rood feed■tlio. whole of. tho way by./this road from Gisborne to. :Hopo'rna,hihc outlet.. In places there, wcro clearings, and in souio'parts' cocksfoot grass grow 3ft. : high. Then from Hoporiiahirie to, Ruatahnna there was' an unmade gap of 17 miles, over which thero were two or thrco 'tracks that 'a stranger:,would require: a-,guide ;to find for him. ::it. had -been asserted that, the Natives had been : the cause of tho road not being formed, but this, was not so, as tho Maoris were only too anxious to.'see the road through,,,and were qu\to prepared, fo assist .in its completion.' .-iluatanuna' was about 1 33 miles nearer' Waikaremoaiia 'than" Galatea,'andithoro was an excellent' road, from' this''point right through to Rotorua. The .timber for the bridge at the top crossing ■at, Hangaroa-was > already cut, and i{ i riot i cut for the Ruakituri Bridge, .the cutting was in hand. Meanwhilo, stock could ford these rivers,-although, in flood, tho crossings. were very. bad. As. ho had alroadv stated, the coach road was good from Gisborne to two' miles past. Waorengaoknri, j and it was 1 ■ understood that the Government -intended .to forthwith complete, the widening of the road from there on. This would save two days' travelling between Gisborne' and tho Lake, for at present tho coach had to go via Wairon, and the complption of tho 17 miles,would be a great boon •to the travelling public. Mr. Stringer added"The. road from Aniwaniwa Crossing to Hoporuahine, a distance of 18 miles, is 10ft. wide, and was built some eight or nine years ago, at a cost of from .£17,000 to ,£IB,OOO, and since then there has'never been a surfaceman on it. i Owing to slips, tho road -is practically., impassable, detours having, to be made up . tho hill, and the bridges-.aro not built. The timber was cut at tho time, but had never, been utilised. Altogether about GO.OOOft. of good timber was cut for the bridges and culverts, but it was now practically useless. In any case,, sufficient money has been wasted to have formed a first-class road right .through—that is, taking into consideration the wasto of timber, and. the stock track at. Hangaroa, which is never likely to bo finished, if tho tourist road is opened. Mr. D. Lysnar, of Gisborne, received a definite assurance from' tbo Hon. J. Carroll that , the monev was voted for the completion of tho road, but the experience generally is that it .is .1 difficult thing to get money spent after it is voted. Tt will also bo necessary to make sure that Mr Carroll was not referring to widening the* ro'id .irom Waerengaokuri, and Waikato and Gisborne people should never rest till they see this most necessary work completed."