ROADS IN THE NORTH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 265, 1 August 1908, Page 5

ROADS IN THE NORTH.

"SIMPLY IMPASSABLE." 1 (BT TBLEGII4PD.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT). Auckland, July 31. As showing the state of some of tho roads in the North, tho following paragraph from the"Herald" is interesting:—Tho carriage of tho King's mails from Hukerenui to Towai, a distance of soveniinilesj is, and has been for a cunsiderablo period, accomplished with the utmost difficulty. Owing to the wet weathor of the past two or three months, and tho heavy traffic over it, tho road between theso two places, has been reduccd to such a stato that is is nowrto air intents' and purposes impossible to negotiate. ' Only in cases of extreme necessity do tho settlers attempt, to traverse what they describe as a voritablo sea of mud ; and when tlioy do they run tho risk of being bogged for hours together, or at any rato • until assistance arrives either to pull or dig them out. Whilo tho settlers thus avoid tho road, Mr. A. Christio, the unfortunato mail contractor, has to face the task of gotting through several times a week.' On Saturday,' July 17, it took liim five hours with fourteen horses and three traps to cover tho seven miles, while last Saturday, ho spont six hours in oovcring five miles, and was then obliged to telegraph that the road was "simply impassable." The Postal _ Department, in consequence, is now making arrangements to send the mails for the district via Russell, Opua, and Kawakawa.