VALLEY BLOCKED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22316, 29 April 1947, Page 4

VALLEY BLOCKED

SETTLERSJSOLATED HILLSIDE SUBSIDES (Herald Correspondent.) Twenty or so settlers are virtually isolated so far as road access is concerned by an extensive slip which, following the heavy rains last week, descended onto the Poroporo Valley road in the Matakaoa County, near Mr Mena, Kururangi’s homestead, covering tha | road for seven chains across and ex-' tending back up the hill for about 33 chains. . ' The whole hillside has slipped into, the river as a result of the very heavy,' rain last week and because of pootf wather conditions—it is still raining ini that area to-day—attemps to clear the slip are meeting with little success, although a gang of men and a buil-dozcr, are on the job. All vehicular traffic has been stopped completely by the slip and those, settlers who are unfortunate enoughto have their homes on the far side atj the top of the valley are having to negotiate the top of the slip over the, hill, a detour which takes approximately three-quarters of an hour. School children are suffering the same inconvenience in their daily trips tt» and from school, and walk over the top of the slip, catching their bus onT the other side, which takes them about: an hour each way. It is feared that with further rain! the slip may extend back up the hi 11.4 There is also another big slip on the! main Tikitiki-Te Araroa highway on| the portion known as Hangman’s Gully*? but this one is passable.