THE MAKOHINE VALLEY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 800, 25 April 1910, Page 10

THE MAKOHINE VALLEY.

; GOOD SHEEP COUNTRY. Returning from the To Kapu country '(writes our •'travelling'-, correspondent) I descended from the'rhigh country "into 'tho ; Makohino Valley, and though, the' hills are pretty high,' there " a wonderful wealth l of- grass all over them... So'mo of the "sections look, as

if. they had "been cleared for a much' longer-time, than is tno case.,, .It, is all: first-class, sheep country,.. carrying on ail average : two and' a half -sheep/' At. the. low.er. end of . thisvalley,- near ■where the stream enters the Rangitikei,' tho Makohino viaduct'-on the. Main Trunk line .crosses the chasm.. ; Soon after crossing the stream when I entered the valley, the road again begins to rise up to a high saddle, and on the right is one of the highest points in - this district. ' From it there is a

marvellous view of Ruapehu and Ng'auruhoe, the Ruahines, aiVay to the west the Marton country, aha in the .south the ■ Tararuas, down to Paekakariki. '.- Not,far from hero' there .is"a. blockof Crown land of between three and

four, Hundred acres, which is not taken ' up. It is similar land to. that which has,,been settled for years, but this particular section has an exceptionally ■, long road frontage, which has doterred many a would-be selector from making .an application for it. A section-like .. / this and of. the hilly, nature it is. should ' be offered, at- a low price- . •'- : ' . ' There are very few small holdings in .these' 'districts now,, as when ' 'first thrown . open- some: proved to 1 bo too BmalP for. tho class .of.. country.- . Cbn';BequentljY the. holdingshave ..become. larger. They 'are all very. hilly," purely: ' . pastoral, with no plouprhablo-areas on them.- From ■ this saddle . tho road ~ rapidly.- descends to' Manui, aboiit four, miles from Mangaweka, passing good past-oral lafid all the- way.' On a spur' . .overlooking. tho , yalley of the Ran&itik'ei is'tho home'of Mir. - -H. B. Hammond. Tho road from the entrance gate winds up the side' of the ,:•hill, ■; and then tho house and woolshed come into view. Mr. Hammonds owns a -good property of some 800 acres.' His ■.»' sheep' are Rqmneys, and this last.sea-" son have, exceedingly well: . Turning to the right,..: tho. comfortable now house of Mr.- fct. G;. Oliver is sc-eu, .-- enclosed in a nest ; macrocarpa fence. , Here the country-is more.steep, but,it : lays well to the sun, from the top -of the ridge Mr. Oliver has a'magnificent . view, of'tho Knwhatau country. 1 A little .further on,. and .the :road , - .-passes under, the, tail-: . way viaduct. :• "When just' round-.the--1 ,;corncr,the township,-witlrits' red'roofs , gleaming, in the sunshine, comes inio view, while", across. the rivor the high white;,papa; cliffs 'on tho', Rangitikei 1 v.; make a beautiful background' to ..the- ; view. -''Leaving .Mangaweka in a -northeasterly direction," the-road/leads to the- : fine., cantilever bridge orer' the Rangitikei River. , A-short distance further . the. road;branches, to . the right; to Rangiwahia, to thq left'to.Kawhat-iui. One of tho sons of. Mr. J. G. Wilson,, ■ • 1548I 548 a nice block -,of . land at the end of tho'valley. It is under - the charge , of Mr. Roclcd, and,, is '•:; tip-top, sheep country. On the Voppo : ! .site--side'is a', farm belonging to Mr! . It. W. • Smith, M.P. ; , - Going on the Kawhatau road to. the °Sl P? S3I3S '°,Y eT Mangawhara-; ■ -Sii't'ii- - —i o ' l oomes' from ■■'-tile', iluahiiie ranges.'/,* It- ,is an exceedingly rapid body of water,' aiid makes along-., with great v force... ,This,would prove.-a 1 capital place for an electric- power stai? n U as th ? re is ii splendid fall, and the stream is confined/within, very narsides. Some- day, 1 no doubt, the good people of Mangaweka will avail themselves of this splendid site - for . generating electricity.-;when -they go in ror lighting up their, township. -. A turbine plant ?could be-- installed here kt a. ;very .moderate -'cost,' 'both , the water ; an(l'",'sUffibieht "fall for " the purpose:-..-' . , .