THEN AND NOW

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1933, Page 10

THEN AND NOW

HELENSVILLE FLATS AND PARAKAL SPRING.

(By W. A. Hoey.)

When I first travelled over the northern railway, as far as Kaukapakapa, in 1892, the country from Henderson was almost an unbroken and not very inviting fern and tea-tree country. Now it has an aspect that can be termed domestic, with its small villages, farm houses and well kept fields. Even to within two miles of Helensville, tall tea-tree was growing and a few gunuliggers had possession of the Kumeu flats where there are now productive farms. To the east and the north, the giant kauris were being worked and the timber trade and shipping to 'Kaipara made the north line one of the best paying sections of railway in New Zealand. * At that time, Helensville was well within the region of the “Poor North” so called. It has since been termed tire “Roadless North” and the “Wiuterless North”. The latter is a misnomer, for although this part of New Zealand is not subject to severe cold, still its ‘climate is wet and a damp cold can be classed as our northern winter.

About Kaukapakapa there was some grass land and the tunnel north of there was being constructed. My visit was to see a section of land,* a forty acre grant to my father for paying his passage to New Zealand and becoming a good settler. That section was just south of the Makarau station, three and a half miles from any cultivation. It contained some nice kauri trees. But what a place to give to a new chum! Those travelling south of Helensville now see some fine herds of pedigree cattle on that well grassed level and rolling country, but the land over the bridge* on the road to Pakakai and furtho on, is much better grass country than the former. Fortunately paspalum has not been sown there to any extent, the clovers, cocksfoot and rye grass being the principal herbage. On one farm I visited in the spring further on than the mineral spring, 80 head of cattle were being grazed on 60 acres of land, and there was more feed than that number could keep down. When there at the end of May, paddocks that had been shut up for a time promised plenty of grass for winter. That is where paspalum fails; its growing season is over then, and until the middle of October, if the spring, is favourable,, whereas rye gives growth right throughout the year.

In walking through some of the Plazas in Santiago, Chili, with an exNew Zealander, he ealled my attention to the Vivid green' of the grass growing there* and asked was it as green in New Zealand. At the time I could not recall having seen grass as indicated in New Zealand but my visit to the Helensvillc flats put me in mind of the grass in Santiago. There must he a happy combination of all\ the elements in those soils to give it that emerald green and its superior feeding value. There can be noted the dif-' ference in farming on gum land, or land of a secqnd rate nature contrasted with a fii-st-class soil. There is also the difference of rating for roads. Whore the land is continuously good, it falls easier on the farmer. That has been one of the troubles of making roads in the North, the land being so patchy that the best of the,land has had to bear an unjust load of taxes. If those who have visited Killarney, or who may do so, would note the emerald green of grass as you enter the grounds and look towards the hotel on the lake shore, and as you pass along the road past the squire's house, I think the Helensvillc flats can compare with the pasture there, * There is one mineral spring at Parakai, situated in the Government domain. A bore has been put down, and the water tapped. It is conveyed to the various accommodation houses, and has enough force t,o send it to the second floor.

At Parakai House, where I stayed, there are a number of small baths, and a large swimming pool, under the one roof. The house, is well conducted, a good table 'is kept, and there are a large sun room with inside bowls, a sitting room with billiard table, and a commercial room. The grounds are well kept, with a numerous assortment of roses and a tennis court for visitors. On the coast, which can be reached by those who like a tramp, can be see r the menace of encroaching sand on farm lands. For some miles along the coast there, the sand has taken possession, even travelling over hills 25(1 to 400 feet in height and coming down the eastern slopes. That sand is of a light nature different from the iron sand found south of the Manukau harbour, which docs not travel so rendilv.