Hawke's Bay Hearld TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1867. ROAD TO TAUPO.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 903, 24 December 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Hearld TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1867. ROAD TO TAUPO.

The subject of opening up the road between Taupo and Napier, is, as our readers know, engaging the attention of the local government — Mr. Ross, district surveyor, being now in the field, endeavoring to discover the best line of communication between the two places. The subject, as being one intimately connected with the general pacification of the country, and the advancement of civilization into the interior, is of general as well as local interest ; and a letter which lately appeared in these columns, urging the General Government to help in the work of opening this road, has, we perceive, obtained a prominent place in the Wellington Independent and other leading journals. As bearing upon the matter, we subjoin a letter written by a gentleman formerly resident in Napier, Mr. J. B. Ellraan, who had thoroughly explored the country and was well qualified to express an opinion. Mr. Elltnau, indeed, made a " hobby " of this particular subject, and repeatedly, through the Herald of the day, urged upon the Government the necessity of makiug some effort in the way of opening communication from Napier in a northerly direction. 1 Nor were those and similar appeals altogether in vain, A good deal was done by means of native labor— the General Government, we believe, providing the necessary funds, and Mr. Alexander, of this place, undertaking the superintendence of the work. But the time has come for something on a more extended scale, and involving a much larger expenditure ; and Mr. Ellman's letter, written on the 11th January 1864 to Mr. Sewell, and now published — for, we believe, the first time — will be read with general interest, and may prove useful to those public officers who have to deal practically with the matter : — I hare for years felt a great interest in the overland route from Napier to Auckland, especially the portion lying between Taupo and JSapier. On travelling ovei* the hitherto used Maori track from Apepe on Kaingaroa plain to Napier, I have been struck with, the conviction that no permanent road could bo made on that line, the natural surface of the country presenting highly objectionable obstacles ; and looking to the future, when peace shall have been permanently established, and the Bay of Plenty be the site of thriving set- • tlements, I nave always had an opinion that a practicable dray road, avoiding the two great difficulties — tlie river Mohaka and the central range of mountains — would somewhere be found which, when | completed, would be of the greatest pos- j sible importance to the East Coast, especially to Napier. Impressed with this belief, I devoted considerable trouble to the examination of the country, and having discovered an easy jmicticable route, entirely avoiding j the ascent of the main range, and also the fording of the Mohaka, and all the other creeks and rivers ; presenting, moreover, through its entire length, between Napier and the Taupo plain no engineering difficulty whatever, I have felt it to be my duty to acquaint his Excellency the Governor with the existence thereof. I have therefore taken the liberty of sending you this communication, in the hope that you may deem it of sufficient importance to lay before the Colonial Secretary for presentation to his Excellency. I will, as briefly as possible, state the principal features respectively of the present route and the one I propose. Starting from Napier by tlie present Maori track, there are six miles of soft beach to traverse to the end of the Petane valley. This valley is then followed, crossing the river about thirty times, until the Kaiwaka creek is reached. This creek is then ascended for two miles, in which, there about twenty crossings. The road then traverses a very rough broken range of hills as far as Bongomaipapa, whence is a descent to the low valley at the foot of the great Maungaharuru range. This brings you to the Pohui busn. The road now ascends for four miles to the Titiokura saddle, on the summit of the range, from whence there is a very bad descent to the river Mohaka, the crossing of which is very dangerous. On the north, sido of the river the track traverses an exceedingly broken and hilly country the whole way to Eaingaroa plain, abounding in steep and unnecessary ascents and descents, crossing the Waitara, a branch of the Mohaka, in three dangerous places. At tlie south-east end of the Kaingaroa plain the road is boggy, and impassable in wet seasons ; and indeed it is only in fino weather that the four rivers axe safe to cross. The Mohaka, in particular, is often flooded for days together, so that all communication is stoppod. The route I propose presents no difficulties whatever ; it is perfectly passable at all seasons. Thero are no rivers to ford or swamps to avoid ; the ascent is gradual throughout its whole length from Napier to Taupo ; no ranges have to bo crossed, and from the sandy nature of the soil very little metalling will be necessary. Starting from Napier by the new road to Puketapu, I follow the past bank of the Tutaekuri to the Hakuai. A side cutting will here bo necessary for one mile ; this will bring the road to the Mangaone junction. Still keeping the east bank of the latter river, there is an excellent spot one mile above the mouth for a bridge, the river here being narrow and sluggish, and the banks on both sides of even height. A single arch of 60 feet span will be sufficient. The road then follows the low range of hills separating the waters of the Pekapeka and Mangahouhou from the waters of the Mangaoue and Mangapapa, as far as the Patoka gorge, (tlio source of the Mangahouhou). A side cutting of one mile will here be necessary, and a small bridge at the head of the gorge. Timber is abundant. The road, on emerging from the gorge, crosses the Maniai'oa flat to tlio low saddle at Oru ; thonce a side cutting of three miles will be necessary on the north side of the watershed of the Tutaekuvi, Kurikuvi, aud Inangatahi creeks. This will bring the road to the lowest part of the Puketitiri forest. The bush will here be cut through, for four miles — a dead level, as far as the Aniwaniwa flats — slight side cuttings are here necessary to tho Mohaka, three miles distant. This portion will bo a decline of one iv twenty. Tho Mohaka is reached at tho mouth of the < Makahu creek, where a small bridge will be necessary, and a larger one for the main river, which is here only eighty-five feet wide. A bridge of about 100 feet span can easily be thrown across the river,

the land on both sides being a flat terrace. The water is very deep on the east side, and the current moderate. Timber in abundance can be obtained at the Pulcetitiri forest, and, as I have stated, the road is a descent from the bush to the river. '^Affcer having crossed the river, the route will lie along the Paraweranui flats to the mouth of the Ripia valley, where the heavy portion of the work may be said to commence. This valley is the key to the Taupo plains, being open and unbroken through its entire length of from thirty to forty miles ; and with the exception of a belt of tawai forest in the lower portion of the valley, which belt is about ten miles wide, a very little labour would make an excellent dray road throughout. At the entrance of the valley the side cuttings will be heavy, the Mils being so exceedingly steep. The west side of the valley will be kept the whole length. At a distance of three miles from the Mohaka, the Makiekie creek joins the Ripia ; a bridge will here be necessary, and at this spot the forest commences. The road for the next fifteen miles will lie entirely through the tawai forest, winding round all the spurs a chain or so above flood mark. This portion will of course be very circuitous, owing to the great length of the spurs, which are deeply interlocked, though, perfectly free from precipices. As soon as the belt of forest is passed through, which occurs at the base of a spur called Te Mata, the valley is grassy, and open to its source at Maruatui ; occasional side cuttings in the pumice-stone cliffs will be necessary, but these are few and far between. A few small creeks must be bridged, and stone is plentiful in the valley. In the upper part of the valley there is a singular rent in the solid stone formation, where the river flows underground, and travellers cross on a natural arch [of rock, called "Te ara mahutaliuta." On arriving at Maruanui hill, the road uo longer requires forming, but a straight gouvsg across the plain for three miles brings you to Paliautea bush, where the present track is regained. Thus you -vrill see that by taking this route, several material advantages are gained. Ist. The road is practicable at all seasons, and no floods can affect it, all the rivers being bridged. 2nd. The mountain ranges are totally avoided ; on the south side of the Mohaka an elevation of about one thousand feet is saved by taking the Puketitiri route, and on the north side, instead of crossing all the broken ranges lying between the river and the Taupo' plain, the valley of the Bipia is ascended through its entire length ; and at Maruanui, the source of of the Eipia, the ground is solid, no swamps occurring as at the south-eastern end of the plain, namely, the portion between the Eangetaiki river and the western crossings. 3rd. In consequence of the gentle inclination of the country, the works will be of less magnitude than in any other part of the district ; and loaded vehicles will be able to take a much heavier weight than by any other route. There is abundance of feed for stock by this route ; indeed, I would wish to imSress strongly upon you that as the Moaka can only be bridged at the spot I have mentioned, that for the driving of stock from the jUSTapier country to the interior this route will be invaluable, as soon as a bridge is thrown across the river. The road being through the valley will greatly facilitate the driving, as the hills will prevent the escape of the animals, while the abundance of grass and water will enable longer drives to be made than by any other route. I believe that there is scarcely any difference in the respective lengths of the two routes ; both, Irom Pahautea to Napier, being reckoned at 90 miles. I would here mention that in 1859 I had the honor to conduct Mr. Thomas Gill, the Provincial Engineer of Napier, over the new line, by direction of his Honor the Superintendent. . We came to Taupo by the new route, and returned by the ordinary Maori track. Mr. Gill was very favourably impressed with my line, and reported accordingly to the Superintendent. No survey of the country north of the Mohaka has beon made ; indeed, the Hawke's Bay province does not extend far north, so that it is beyond their control. From, the Mohaka northward the land is in the possession of the Maoris. The jSTgatimaruwahine tribe, of whom Te Whetu is the present chief, claim the Eipia valley ; but there is only one cultivation and village in the whole length— this is at Pakaututu, at the mouth of the valley. The tribe does not number forty souls. For private convenience I made a bridle track from the Mangaone junction to Puketitiri, and cut a line through the forest. For this I was subsequently remunerated by the Provincial Government of Hawke's Bay, as my road Avas found to be of great public convenience. The deep importance of this route being mode known has induced me to trouble you with this letter, and I have thought it more advisable to place it in your hands for communication to his Excellency than to take the liberty of doing so myself; though, as you are aware, when we original^ came here, I had a letter of introduction from Sir John Pakington to his Excellency, which I had the honor to present at Wellington in March, 1863.