FROM ATEA TO KAKARIKI.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1009, 27 December 1910, Page 8

FROM ATEA TO KAKARIKI.

■ ' ' AND ON TO NIREAHA. \." Travelling from Atea to Kakariki is a very pleasant ride. Hills ai'o on each; r./V side.--All,tho land is settled, though \in ? : - too small holdings (says our travelling y . ' correspondent). However, these small tactions .serve their end: tho men who ■ ■ take them up sell out and with the cash ; usually go in for a bigger place. At kakariki there is a big flat, very . 6tony, has been covered | ' manuka-scryb./. The soil is-a light loam, andgTOws excellent turnips. Viz ' It; is-Wideiit that at sbme distant dato - the wateri of the Marigahao. River flowed where the; flat is now, as they are just V ' at of it, only now flowing some ?-'■ feet' Below. • Standing on the edge ot the'cliff-and Rooking down stream, one eees'soine nice alluvial flats. • • The Settlers: on' the range side of the river, in the Waiwera. Block have a grievance— they have •no bridge across this dangerous river. - «■ " Prom Kakariki the road turns off near ■ the'Hukanui creamery to the right, runs across another stony tlati then tnero is a good ford over tho Mangatainoka,- and in a short distance one sees the red roof of : - Nireaha Church, St. Mary's. ' This beautiful church was buiit and i ■ ■1. furnished by the efforts of one of the pioneer settlers of district, Mr. James Nichols. Ke and his sons took up f. sections when the association was form- j ed in ,Wellington, and they were among the first to go' oh their jaad alter Ua sections;'were balloted. For o.">rae ' years Mr. Nichols officiated as'.layjrt'aderi he also carried tho mail to and from Eketaliuna, on "shanks*'s nony," as, being etono - : ' deaf he was afraid to Ttiiocr drive. None of the family " are nov in tho district. Mr.. Nichols'and Ms wife.are dead,..and all the. sons and daughters have homes elsewhere. ; • The Nireaha . totara reserve was a r • famous.piece of excessively heavy timber, • and gave milling for many years to sev- • eral firms, in'fact it is not. all cut yet, s. after'over twenty years. The rights wero ,• sold by auction, and I think I am correct in saying that some fetched over per t acre for cutting the timber alone. The Vmd has been cut up into small farms..: