THE PEOPLE'S COLUMN.

Northern Advocate, 26 August 1924, Page 3

THE PEOPLE'S COLUMN.

[Our columns aTe quite open to the •public for the • discussion of matters of public concern. We invite correspondence, but do not identity ourselves "with the views expressed • by our correspondents. —Ed.] THE NGUNGURU ROAD. (To the Editor.) Sir^ —In Friday's issue is a notice -of a petition with regard to the necessity of a low level road to Ngunguru without climbing the Kaitea Range via the Pukcuru Spur. The whole of this matter was put in hand by the then riding member, Mr A. J. H. Currey, who secured a grant of £1000 in the year 1920, and tenders were called, for the first mile, starting at Shoebridge's corner at a large poliutukawa tree, and terminating at the back of the Ngunguru Hotel,, distance about one mile. Sufficient metal could be obtained in the various cuttings to metal portions of it as per specifications. I tendered for it, that's why I know. But the Government had to retrench, and the vote 'vanished like a beautiful dream, owing to financial stringency. I went over the route with Mr Norris, county engineer, and Mr Currey, and I will, with your permission, give a description of it. The projected route is about 5* miles from the Pairapon bridge at Kiripaka, to Ngunguru, following the left hand bank of the Ngunguru River for about a mile anil a half, and through a small cutting across the Waiatohi creek —a fairly level stretch —a grade from the proposed bridge at this point would be about 1 in 30—to a low saddle, and a like gradient would take us to a ridge, through which a "block cutting about 40 feet deep, about six or eight chains long, which would meet the down gradient on the northern side and on the southern end fill the approaches of the Waiatui creek bridge. Another block cutting on the Cape Horn side would connect with the first contract aforementioned. This would open a lot of good land now lying idle on account of no means of ingress or egress, and I saw fat bullocks here during the 1919 drought in the low valleys, which speaks volumes for it being brought into pasture land. On the southern bank of the river Is evidence of extensive coal measures, which are yet untouched; in fact, the whole river valley is carboniferous —such is this writer's opinion. The main feature of this new road is that it would greatly benefit the struggling settlers, who have to send their produce to the Hikurangi factory, which takes hours, and if this new road were opened it would reach Whangarei-in an hour. Another great advantage to Whangarei would be a splendid beach that would become the Brighton of Whang.irei. There is excellent schnapper fishing outside the northern 'head and the view of the Great Barrier, -Little Barrier, Poor Knights and Sail Rock is worth seeing on a fine day. All this could be reached in an hour from Whangarei. There is another road, which would be a trifle longer, but it would be a steep climb from the Kiripaka Road below Colonel Holgate's farm, which would be more costly as it would mean a ferry or a swing bridge, so as not to impede navigation,, to enable the Ngunguru settlers to get their cream away, and I think they are ■wise in choosing the northern bank. It is up to the Government -to make a grant year by year until the road is completed, and most of the metalling could be done from the cuttings, as a good few of them show blue hard quartzite rock. —I am, etc., c! J. HOBBS, Waiotu.