MAITAI VALLEY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 17 January 1939, Page 7

MAITAI VALLEY

A NELSON BEAUTY SPOT ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE ANCIENT MAORI A picture in another column *ives a beautiful glimpse of the beginning o' the Maitai Valley, one of Nelsons outstanding beauty spots. From the centre of the town to the fiat at the loot of the Maungatapu (a graceful slope on one of the mountains "Doubles” is shown in the picture! is a distance of nine miles and the road very gradually rises to a height of 1000 feet above sea level. On the 18th December 1926 a leading article appeared in the “Evening Mail” dealing in some detail with a suggested new motor road over the Maungatapu to the Pelorus bridge, and urging amongst other things, that a preliminary survey of the proposed route be made. That article was valuable. It attracted very considerable attention at the time, and furthermore, aroused increased interest in the Maitai Valley itself. and this interest has been stimulated by later correspondence and views, both for and against the proposed scheme

I decided to have a glimpse at the ground myself, and before I finish what 1 have to say. I hope to make some reference to this very important matter so far as this city and district is concerned It is claimed that it will shorten the distance by at least 14 miles with a safe and easy grade all the way. All the way up are to be found snug week-end whares and several more are located on this fiat. Hills rise abrutply on all sides, with most beautiful native bush in places. There are excellent swimming pools strewn along the river. At this altitude the air is clear, crisp, and bracing, and one feels for the timebeing that he has cleared the zone conducive to the harbouring of troublesome microbes. There is also an abundance | of clear rushing water. | In the southern branch of the Maitai limestone caves are located, but while they are certainly interesting in character. they are not very extensive :r size. In the northern branch very fine waterfalls are to be found and these are well worth a visit, particularly at this season of the year. Located in limestone country, these have a clear drop in places of over 90 feet. The whole area of the falls cover something approaching 300 feet. The celebrated Maori quarry where countless generations of Maoris made their tint axes and other tools is situated at Rush Pool at the top of a ridge about 800 feet up. Above the quarry, which covers a small space—and its peculiar stone is located to this one place only—Maori ovens are still to be seen, and great quantities of pipi shells. The Rush Pool itself is below the quarries and is about an acre in extent, almost square in shape, covered with growing rushes standing in a foot or two of water, surrounded by the flinty rocks above and small mounds all around, from which the vegetation had been burned off in a very recent scrub fire. The draining of this pool would be easy, and some excavation below its surface might rcsuß in some very interesting and surprising discoveries. Great numbers of Maoris in the olden days must have frequented this spot, and it is highly probable that they have left some valuable souvenirs behind them.

The view from this peak is extensive and beautiful to a degree. Many thousands of tons of this remarkable rock still remain, and to walk over the ola chippings produces a peculiar clanking metallic sound. The stone itself is intensely hard and even in some of the accidental chippings, an even edge sufficient to sharpen a lead pencil easily, can be picked up anywhere.

The Maori who first discovered that quarry must have been regarded as a true patriot by his fellows. The find was doubtless an exceedingly valuable one for the whole tribe. Its presence proves that the old Maori did a great deal more than stick to the sea shore. From the very earliest times the Maitai valley had some settlers in it, ar.d at one time there must have been v r-rj considerable traffic through the vall'\t to and fro over the big hill, as at that time that was the route : nto uk;t is now known as the province jf Mi riborough. At that period it was all part of the Nelson province. The present well known track evtr the Hill, which was there at all evm ts in 1866 (as it was over this ra'hv/ay the victims of the Maungatapu murderers travelled and met their ia-e at the hands of that notorious gang .f cotlaws) was not the first track. An )*. icr the one leading past the Rush F. < 1 and the Maori quarries had existed several years prior to the date. The older is a much shorter route, md „ls o in places it is much more precipitous. Foj some reason not known, it was abandoned and the new track formed