REPORTS ON THE PRACTICABILITY OF IMPROVING THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NELSON AND THE WAIRAU

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 449, 12 October 1850, Page 130

REPORTS ON THE PRACTICABILITY OF IMPROVING THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN NELSON AND THE WAIRAU

111. Mr. Tinune's Report. To his Honour the Superintendent, Nelson.

. Sir— As it is becoming every day an object of greater importance to have a more direct and easy line of communication between Nelson and the district of Wairau than tbe one which from necessity, is used at present, the matter has long been before the public, and the question has continually arisen. Does a nearer and easier route exist? I myself have been for a long time of opinion, that there was every probability of a route being discovered prefer* awe to the one now used in respect of distance, tccessibility, and practicability, so as to connect the Vwo districts by tbe way of Wakapuaka, from thence to the more level portion of the valley of the Pelorus, and then through the Kaituna Valley to the centre of the Wairau i Plain. Having mentioned the subject to your Honour, you gave me permission to explore these several districts; and, in consequence, I have made two excursions, th« reoult of which I have now the honour to report for your in* formation. fely first excursion I undertook in November last, taking with me a native lad to carry my provisions and blankets. From Nelson to,, the pa at Wakapuaka, a distance of about Sixteen miles, the country is level or nearly so, and already, as your Honour is aware, a good dray road extends into tbe Happy Valley, eleven miles of the way. From the limits of the New Zealand Company's land in tbat valley, to tbe mud flat at Wakapuaka, a distance of about four miles, it is thickly wooded, but quite level, and a foot-path leads through it, which even at present is frequently traversed by both horses and cattle. The mud flat itself presents the greatest obstacle to tbe forming of any road Jhfk may be undertaken hereafter in this direction, as it is covered at high water, and a road, instead of being takeu straight across it, would require to be taken round the base of the hills leading from the wood to the pa. I started from Wakapuaka in almost an easterly direction, but after travelling a distance of about six miles, J was induced to return, not being able then to "Spare more time, and having had several days detention from wet weather.

! Following up a resolution to reach the Wairau by this route, I again, with your permission, left Nelson in January last ; went over my former track, and continued my journey towards the Pelorus in the same easterly direction y and having crossed two ranges of hills, 'and a stream which divides them, called the Wangaraoa, flowing into Blind Bay, I came upon a river (which, as I afterwards learned, the natives call the Rai) flowing almost directly south ; and making no doubt tbat it joined the Pelorus, I made up my mind to follow down its course. It fell out as I conjectured, as I came upon its junction with the Pelorus some hours afterwards. By following down this river I f taken much further to the southward than pected, but I did not regret it, as it gave a good knowledge of the country, and it also satisfied me tbat a road from Nelson to the Pelorus would be more direct, and would have far fewer difficulties to contend with, across the country from the Happy Valley to the valley of the Rai, than by going round by Wakapuaka. I do not think it possible that the distance can be more than four or five miles between the two valleys, and as I should suppose the stream called the Wangamoa takes its rise somewhere h*4his small belt of intervening country, I am, of opinion there can be only one range of hills to cross over. The two ranges I crossed were steep in places, but as far as I am able to judge/ a very good horse track may be taken across them at a moderate expense. The valley of the Rai gradually widens itself the nearer you approach the Pelorus, where it seems to be about three* quarters of a mile to a mile in breadth, and the river equals in size the Pelorus itself. At and about the junction both rivers have steep rocky banks, are very deep, and consequently are difficult to get over, but about half-a-mile below I observed that the character of the banks was entirely changed, and tbat the rocks had given place to. a shingle beach in places, but mostly to steep earthen banks. In coming into the valley of the Rai from Happy Valley or Wakapuaka, instead of proceeding down the right bank of that river (the course which I took), it should be crossed about seven or eight miles up, as by following down the left bank the rocky bed. of the Pelorus is avoided, and the latter river then becoming wider and shoaler* there are plenty of good fords. After crossing the Pelorus river, I kept down its right bank the whole way to its junction with the Pelorus Sound, a distance of about twelve miles. There is one tributary stream to cross, about the rise of the Waimea, which flows from the south-east, and is about five miles above the salt water. The valley of the Pelorus is from a quarter of a mile to a mile and half in width, thickly timbered, bat inter* spereefl here and there with fern patches. On approaching the point of land where tbe Kaituna Valley joins tbe Pelorus, I found that a tide* channel of considerable depth, even at low water, runs close along shore, with a very precipitous rocky bank. As there must be some depth of water when tbe tide is in, it would be impossible to cross it otherwise tbao in a boat, and to get round the point intotheKaituna, a side-cutting would be necessary for at least a quarter of a mile. Outside of this tide-channel, and filling up a large indentation, from which tbe Eaitona runs into tbe Wairau, is an ejtensiva mud-flat, which is nearly all bare at loir water. In my way to Mabakepawa, a pa in* one of. ;, the «map bays of the Pelorus Sound, I vas obuged torg*

quite round the Kaituna mud-flat, to do which was Ho easy matter from the number of creeks necessary to cross, and the mud in some places being knee deep. At a point which separates Kaituna bay from Mahakepawa tha water appeared to be of such a depth as to allow of the anchorage of small vessels, but as the hills come down nearly to the water's edge and the shore is either rocky, a mud-flat, or swamp. I should say that a road could not be formed in tbat direction but at an immense expense By going to Mahakepawa (where I went solely for a supply of provisions before proceeding on ray journey through the Kaituna to the Wairau> I was taken so much out of my way, and having no particular object to serve in proceeding by that route (the valley in question being-to well known, and having been reported on so favourably for the purposes of communication- v between Nelson and the Wairau by every person who had traversed it), tbat I made up my mind to follow a Native path which was pointed out to me as leading from Mahakepawa into the Waitohi pass. This path led roe over ene steep range into the Tuamarina Valley, about midway between Waitohi. and what is called Massacre Hill. To sbow your Honour more plainly the extent and nature of my route I en-\^ close herewith a sketch, as. also a copy of my. journal, which contains a fuller description of the different districts I travelled through tbakv I can give in this Report. \ From what I saw of the country through which I travelled, I consider that a road to connect Nelson with the Wairau, by way of the Pelorus and Kaituna, is quite practicable, and to estimate properly the value of such a road, should it be nothing more than a bridle path,, not only must it be considered that it would shorten the journey into the Wairau Plain to ' one- third of the present distance, but it would \ be the means of opening the Pelorus, and ita tributary valleys, some of which, such as the Rai, are of considerable extent. This latter valley is covered wholly with timber, which,, with that growing in the Pelorus itself, consists of the more useful and marketable kinds, Gucb as the mai, rimu, kabikatea, totara, tawa, ice., and the river*, unlike the Wairatt and Waimea^ straggling over sboal stony beds, are confined within proper limits, and offer every facility for the rafting of timber. The land is generally of good quality, and I should say, from the character of the rivers, is quite free from tßundation. As to the nature of the country between the Happy Valley and the Rai, I can give nopositive description from my own knowledge, having never gone over it. I merely give it ds^ my opinion tbat the best route will be found^ that way. and I would suggest that meansshould be taken to have it explored before any outlay is made in the forming of a road in any other direction. There will be one hill nodoubt, perhaps two, but I think they will easily be got over, and with the exception of this portion of the journey of three or four miles which will be hilly, all the rest of the wayjfrora Nelson to the Wairau will be nearly level. It is greatly to be regretted that so much of tha « route is through a heavily timbered country, as a horse track through timbered land, unless of a width sufficient to allow the sun and wind to penetrate, soon becomes cut up and full of holes where water lodges, and is thus rendered nearly impassable. With these remarks I submit this Report to your Honour's consideration, I am, &c, John Tinmnz.

Nelson, Feb. 1, 1850.