TRIP TO KARAMEA.

Grey River Argus, 28 January 1911, Page 2

TRIP TO KARAMEA.

Mr VV. S. Austin of the Rcefton District High School, ha£ just returned from a trip to Karamea (says the Westport News) where he accompanied Mr David Tennen,t on a visit of inspection to a sawmill in which the latter is interested. Mr Austin states: Karamea is same 40 milesnorth of Westport and the trip up was made in the little steamer Maingapapa. -Outside the port the scow Zingara was waiting- to be towed in, and though the bar was far from smooth, this operation was successful ly accomplished. There is usually a depth of nine feet at the river mouth. Unf-or.tu2ia.tely during recent years' the channel has been slowly shifting .northwards, with the result that a considerable amount of land has been washed away. To deflect? the stream into its former course the Government has recently erected a training wall of piles and stone crates which has not been so effective as was anticipated and the wall is to be extended. THE KARAMEA RIVER. The Karamea river contains a considerable body of water but owing to a bifurcation some distance from the sea fully half .of its volume finds an outlet three or four miles -to the south. It would appear that a'comparatively small outlay would remedy this defect .'and considerably deepen the water at the -jetty s and on the bar. In the port there is a Government wharf as well as one' erected .by each of the timber companies operating in ithe locality. THE. TIMBER INDUSTRY. Sawmilling was commenced at Kara mea about six years • ago- .by Mr W. H. Walker who was later bought put ■•' by the Mount Radiant .Company (Messrs Stratford, Goss and Tennent.) Their mill is capable of turn ing out 200,000 feet of timber monthly and is kept steadily going. The Karamea Sawmilling Company (Messrs Gilbert Bros.) opened up five years ago and are now working two mills, one at Karamea and one at Oparara, some five miles -to the north. This company is able to tuna out 300 000 feet monthly. The third mill is Duncan's. With the improved facilities of the port which must come in the near future, all these companies will extend their operations, for timi ber is abundant in quantity -and in » quality is quite equal to the produce of our own district along the Hokitika line.- . But sawmilling is ' not the only industry in this district fox Karamea I was established thirty-five years ago I mainly by settlers direct from the Homeland. Belts of extremely fertile land extend along both sides of the Karamea river and along- the coastal plain from the' Oparara river five miles to the north to the Little Wanganui ten miles- to the south. In these areas fruit growing and dairy farming are carried out with such success and to such aoi extent as is not to be excelled if indeed equalled iby any. other part of the West .Coast. Every •where with but few exceptions, the farms bear every mark of success. The \fields are well fenced, the orchards ripening to perfection and the cattle, sleek and clean, bear evidence of the fertility of the soil and on every hamd the replacing of older, farm .houses by more modern dwellings and loutbuildings testifies to, the success of their owners and their I 'confidence in the future of the district/. At almost every gateway is

seen the familiar milkstand, fan Kara mea boasts of its dairy factory established there by Messrs Curtain Broth ers about four years ago. The usual custom is for each farmer to separate the milk from his own herd, the cream being- collected by the factory expresses. The factory is meetingwith a large measure of success, its products being considered to ib.e of first class quality. A SECOND MT. MORGA.'N. The famous Mount Radiant, rich in copper, gold aaid other minerals, is visible from K&ramea, being distant about a day's journey. Operations here, however, are reported to have I temporarily ceased, mainly owing to/ the low price of copper now ruling. THE .FISHERIES. .Fish is abundant. The lagoons and riven mouths of thei district' yield large supplies of flounders and schnapper. . I TRACES OF MAORI LIFE. Of passing interest are the traces of former -Maori occupation — either permanent or temporaiy. Here and there the action of the river has laid bare remains of Maori 'ovens together with great deposits of shells and sus-picious-looking remains of hones, while some little distance up the Op-, arara there are fi.ne limestone oaves which when disecovered recently contained some (fine moa remains. THE ROAD TO MOKIHINUI. Karamea is connected with Seddonville by an inlaind track some 24 miles in length, but Mokihinui may be reached by a much shorter route . by way of the sea coast when the tide suits, and this latter was selected by Messrs Austin and Temnent for itheir return journey. The first six or sev en miles are along ,a sandy .beach that probably has fio equal in. the Do-' minion, the sand at low tide being hard and almost quite fiat. This fine beach ends at the Little Wanganui where Mr Simpson has erected a large and commodious hotel. The small steamers enter the river and a wharf has been erected some little distance from the mouth. The remainder of the route passes along the rock" strewn foot of the cliffs, and here aaid there where the bluffs cannot conveniently be rounded,, a track bas been constructed over them. Walking heire is somewhat tiring but the grandeur of the scenery compensates for much that Avould otherwise be far from comfortable travelling. The. Mokihinui river being "reached and crossed in the ferry, boat the walking tour ends and the remainder of the journey' to Westport is completed -by train.