FAR NORTH TREK

Northern Advocate, 8 February 1926, Page 5

FAR NORTH TREK

MINISTER AT KAITAIA MANY POINTS OP INTEREST, SOME SPLENDID COUNTRY. - (Special to “Northern Advocate,”) KAITAIA, This Day. Prom Ohaoawai, where th'e Minis--terial party spent Friday night,- to Kaitaia via Whangarpa and Mangonui, is 80 miles by road. Making an .early start from the stop-over place the three ears set out early on Saturday morning, passing through the three counties of Bay of Islands, Wbangaroa and Mangonui en route to Kaitaia. In the early morning sunlight the country round about OhaeaWai looked most progressive, and after the rain of the previous evening the pastures were bright and green. Passing through the historical snot of Waimate North, a good idea of the productiveness of ] the district was obtained. The soil, generally speaking, was of light volcanic nature, of good quality; but as one experienced member of the. party said, if they could arrange for 12 hours' rain per week during the dry season, of the year then tliere would be nothing to stop it from becoming the greatest dairy and producing country south of the Line. | PIEBALD HORSES. The number of piebald horses met throughout tfic trip was one of the I characteristics of the North. ' Many j years ago small circuses used to travel i through the country and they < would j leave old horses on the roadside.. These were .mostly piebald; hence their descendants. EARLY DAYS RECALLED. At Waimate is situated the site of the first church in New Zealand, in which the first marriage in the colony took place. The register shows . that the ceremony was performed by Bishop Sclwyn, the first and only Bishop of New Zealand. Hero also lie the remains of gallant Lieut. Johnston, who fell when rushing the great pa during the Maori wars and mentioned in all historical works dealing with that period. Other interesting mementos of early history were seen on the road. One was an old flour mill, with cogs and machinery made of wood by the early missionaries. This has been allowed to get in a state of disrepair. DESOLATE GUM AREAS. At the head of the Waitaki River there is much Maori land of good quality, -now weed infested, which should be made productive. All the way to the Wairoa kauri gum reserve the road passed through pretty clumps of native bush, mostly consisting of puriri and taraire, but the cars had not gone far from Waimate when they ran into the true gum country characteristic of the North, the only thing of life being a particularly fine mob of sheep and many gumdiggers’ huts and stores. This block iof gum land consists of 14,000 acres, and the only thing it is suitable for is tree-planting. BRIGHTER ASPECT, i From here on is the Puketotara block of about 1900 acres—all good farming land—and then on to Waipapa. Eight to Kaitaia there are splendid roads, and it is marvellous to see what has been done during the last three years in this connection. Before that time cars could not get over certain parts of these roads. Road-making work is going on all the summertime in the northern counties. Much of. the land on towards Waipapa lias been ploughed and sown with brown top. and danthonia. 1 WAIPAPA CROWN LAND. In Waipapa the Government, has 20.000 acres, some of which the settlers want thrown open. Here is situated the Kapiro kauri gum reserve, bounded on the north by Taken Bay and the Kirikiri inlet on the southland by a road inland for some miles. The whole block consists of between 40,000 to 60.000 acres. There are some fine trout streams throughout, but the whole area is covered with hakea, a noxious weed which was imported from America for hedge planting. As the cars left this particular block of country, for two miles into Wfiangaroa County, a similar class of country was passed through, but more broken, then on to Oreterc Hill, where the good lands of the North start i again. ■ • ; DAIRYING DISTRICTS. At the foot of a hill two miles distant the rich Kaeo river flats were tp be seen on which ever side one looked These flats are splendid dairying country, where some great Jersey herds, were to bo seen. It was all very restful to the eye after miles of gum land. NATIVE WELCOME. A typical Maori welcome greeted the party on arrival at .Kaco. . It was here that the first Methodist missionaries set foot in New Zealand on Juno 10, 1823. A cairn marks the spot and a church has been erected to their memory by the descendants of the aboriginal settlers. A speech of welcome was read by the Rev. P. Poata, to which Mr. McLeod suitably replied.

Skirting the Pupuke Valley and going across towards the Whangaroa harbour again excellent dairying country was passed. Here again excellent roads were traversed, cs-

Specially across the arms of the Whangaroa harbour. At Mangonui, another historical spot of the North, a stop of threequarters of an hour was made to receive deputations. VALUE OF PASPALUM. For the 27-mile run from Mangonui to Kaitaia the country is bf a most interesting nature. Undoubtedly paapalum has made this country. f Sheep do well up here and much danthonia is to be seen on the hilly parts. The ‘Pbria district is one of the richest in Mangonui. KAITAIA SWAMP. All the,way to Kaitaia similar conditions prevailed. , The rising and flourishing township of Kaitaia. is within half a mile of the great Kaitaia swamp, on which the Drainage Department is steadily workng towards a most worthy object. When the party returns from its trip to the farthest northern extremity of New Zealand on Wednesday next a thorough inspection of the great work will take place.