THE OKARITA AND WANGANUI RIVERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1568, 21 December 1865, Page 2

THE OKARITA AND WANGANUI RIVERS.

... ii CAPTAIN GIBSON'S REPORT. The following report has been sent by the Port Officer to the Commissioner at Hokitika, dated Dec. 7 I have the honour to submit to you the result of my personal inspection of the Wanganui and Okarita rivers, and I am now enabled to furnish you with such information as was wanting to complete the report X forwarded to you upon this portion of the coast in my last. The entrance of the river Wanganui, which is at the present time very narrow, is unsafe for a vessel of any description to attempt. The south spit overlaps its mouth, and runs for a considerable distance to the northward, where, the coast being rock-bound, should a vessel become stranded in endeavouring to take the bar, she would doubtless instantly break up. All the headlands between this and the Okarita should be approached with great caution in fine weather, as the rocks apparently run a considerable distance out to seaward. The lagoon, commonly known as tiie Okarita, is situate about SO miles to the southward of the Wanganui; the coast line for six miles to thejjnorth is a low sandy bank, covered with coame grass and flax, whereas about half-a-mile to the southward of the entrance there is a high rocky headland, from which a foul bottom apparently extends some distance in a north westerly direction. The river Okarita empties itself into the Eastern side of this extensive lagoon, into which the sea flows and ebbs with great velocity, forming a regular tidal harbour; in tliia respect it has a great advantage over the other rivers, being almost entirely free from any fresh. The present channel over the bar runs N.W. and S.E., with a depth of 14 feet at high-water spring tides. The flood tide continues to run in for one hour after it is high water in the offlug. It is high-water, full and change, at 11.40. Rise and fall about 9 feet. Vessels entering should keep well over to the south shore until abreast the north spit, when they ought to stand straight across for the ppposite side, to avoid the current sweeping upon a middle shingle bed.

About a quarter of a mile from the entrance

the channel is divided by an island into two branches, the northern one being navigable for from 1} to two miles, with from 4 to 6 feet at low water, while the southern arm has the •ame depth of water to a distance of about one-eighth of a mile. There is a very bad holding ground, so that the masters of vessels cannot trust to their anchors and cables If moored in the tideway. I beg to enclose you a plan of this harbour, and I have the honour to suggest the necessity of forming a signal-station there should the prospects of this part of the goldfislds justify the expenditure. I think also a beacon placed on the shore, indicating the position of the middle bank, would be of great service, as I do not consider a buoy or mark of any sort upon the shoal jitself would stand, I would also propose that a green light should be exhibited at night, in contra distinction to the red and bright lights of the Hokitika and Grey rivers. I consider this light of great importance, as most of the vessels arriving off this port will have to stand off and on when awaiting the tide or daylight, rather than risk anchoring with bad holding ground, and for the most part a rocky bottom.