UNROADED DISTRICT

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 137, 6 December 1930, Page 26

UNROADED DISTRICT

EAST CAPE COUNTRY

A TOUR OP INSPECTION

The "Poverty B;iy Herald" publishes the following account of a trip round the East Coast from To Araroa to Opotiki, a part of New Zealand that is as yet unroaded, except for {he Opotiki end, and most of -which is native lands. Tho party consisted of Mr. 11.I 1. W. Furkcrt, chairman of the Main Highways Board, Mr. M. 11. Wynyard, the motorists' representative on the board, Mr. C. T. Talbot, a member of the board, Mr. K. S. Wiliiams,. M.P., and Mr. A. E. Kemp, chairman o£ the Matakaoa County Council. "A start was made from To Araroa by car shortly after 10 a.m. At Mr. M'Niven's station, a few miles past Potaka, which1 is a little over 20 miles from Hicks. Bay, they mounted horses and set' off across country for To Kaha. They stayed the night at Mr. J. Neilson's Tauaroa station, Ruakokore, en route, and reached Te Kaha at about 3.45 p.m. next day. There a car from Opotiki met them, and they reached Opotiki at about 7.30 p.m. "Members spoke very highly of tho pleasant-trip they experienced, and the manner, in .which hospitality was ex-tended-to them en route. 'We lived on the fat of the land,' was tho manner in which Mr.'Wynyard described the hospitality. "The party found the formation work done for a considerable distance along the coast, but the absence of bridges past Te Kaha made this section of the road almost useless so far as motor transport was1 concerned. The largest of the streams should provide little difeulty in fording, but the smaller ones

wore likely to give the most trouble, and bridges would be necessary before the road so far as tbo present formation was completed would be any real use. "A number of deputations were received from Maori settlers, who asked Mr. 3?urkert to use his influence in securing the early bridging of the | creeks in order to give them a reasonable outlet for their produce. "Mr. Wynyard observed that the land around the foothills and in the valloys was particularly fertile, and the Maori settlers, who appeared to bo of a very fine type, were making good use of it. They were cultivating it weJl, and had it in good order. He saw sonio fine herds with which wore pedigree bulls, the absence of scrub bulls being a feature of dairy life there. The native farmers appeared to be enterprising, and many were using milking machines. In comparison with the land in' the valleys and on the flats, however, Mr. Wynyard said, the back country appeared to be of poor class. "Mr. Talbot spoke in glowing terms of the possibilities of the road as a scenic route, and the success the Maoris were making of dairying. He believed that the opening of the road would tend to greatly increase production. "The board members met the Opotiki Borough and County Councils. Mr. Furkert was asked to urge upon the Public Works Department the need to continue the road construction work, and also to give- attention to bridging tho creeks. Mr. Furkert replied that ho would like to see the road completed, and when this eventuated, no. doubt the board would give consideration to the matter of taking it over as a main highway. He gave no undertaking on this point, however, explaining that at present the board, in view of the straitened circumstances, was not keen on taking over any further stretches of road. " 'I am sure that when the road is com-

ploted it will bo a'great attraction for tourists/ commented Mr. Wynyard. 'There; are some very flue bays there/ ho aclded^ 'with:.an abundance of pohutukawa trees,.arid;l am certain.:that it will appeal to ■holiday-making motorists. I made .a1 * re quest'to 'the Maoris and to the comity council:-that ;thcy should endeavour-:to arrange-.for camping grounds.for'motoristS) with the provision ,of . fireplaces, ;so that the risk of destroying the beautiful trees would bo greatly minimised. I suggested that this should be clone before the tourists go through. They thought this was a happy suggestion, and I think they will adopt it.'"