WATAROA NOTES

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1947, Page 2

WATAROA NOTES

(Oui Own Correspondent) The mineral mica is in growing demand to-day in the industrial world, but in New Zealand we seem blind to opportunity in this regain. In South Westland there is a veritable mountain ■of mica. Potentially a source of great wealth, it remain;; isolated and unexploited it is situated not many miles from Br ce Bay, just below the stream known as the Blue River, where there are comparatively good facilities for shipping the material. Such a deposit would in other countries be' undoubtedly and eaeerly utilised, but in this Dominion lack of enterprise leaves this valuable mountain for the benefit — well of a later generation! On Saturday night last, the local tennis club ball proved a magnet for dancers from the surrounding communities of Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier and Harihari. Captivating music was forthcoming from the Ross Orchestra.

Two of our South Westland young women have left for Hokitika to fill rireaches in the staff of the Westland Hospital, Misses Clare Nolan and Pat Mcßride. The girls, who are well fitted for this noble work, are to be commended for their willingness to leave their homes and take up the extra urgent task of nursing. The young men of South Westland, as elsewhere, -are now preoccupied in their spare lime with football. At the week-end there was an assemblage at Wataroa of the players of clubs of Harihari, Fox Glacier and Wataroa, the object being a trial from which to select the South Westland representative team. The form was good and the selection of men up to a satisfactory standard. Eels of large dimensions, no less than the inhabitants of Okarito were elated on Wednesday last when relavs of men from the surrounding areas combined in a working bee to cut a channel to the sea from the harbour, which had for long been sealed. When egress was afforded for the water, the flow carried a host of large eels, which lost not a second in making a bee line for the briny ocean. For the job of cutting away the bar or bank, started at 6 a.m.. the first men to arrive were those who hailed from Wataroa, the second party were from Weheka, and third and last there came the home men of Okarito itself. Work continued for four hours until 10 a.m., when the engineer, Mr. Clark, decided it was timely to allow the pent-up water an outlet to sea. And the flow was indeed a torrent, which soon created a very line channel seawards. Around Okarito the areas which had remained flooded, dried up very quickly indeed, and the residents were glad to regain their usual freedom of movement.