WHANGAREI—PARUA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5358, 18 January 1879, Page 6

WHANGAREI—PARUA.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —A stranger visitiug the districts from Whangarei Heads to tbe township of Whangarei has a thorough change from Auckland. There is a pleasant sail to tbe Heads of about eight hours on the Argyle. The country to which I am referring is a delightful change from this town. The numerous bays, the wide estuary, the charming views of mountain and river, richlywooded hills, solitary gullies with cool rivulets flowing through them, and containing the usual mixture of tree ferns, nikau, and all the other vegetable products that make a New Zealand bush in broken country so beautiful to the lover of nature. This district should entice scores of visitors from Auckland duriug the summer season. It has, in addition to the nice scenery and ever-changing views to which I ha»e referred, a pure and invigorating atmosphere. But

there are a few drawbacks, though these are certainly being" removed. A road is now being constructed which eventually is to connect the Heads with the township. This road ought to have been made more than a dozen years ago. There is a great want of a few inexpensive wharves in some of the Bays. Take Parua, for instance, a pretty bay, a nice country, as charming views from a score of wooded heights as could be desired, plenty of fishing and botanising ; but there is no wharf. Th steamer leaves passengers at the Heads, they must get to Parna as well as they can in some boat or the other, aud then on to Whantiarei similarly, at a cost exceeding probably the fare from Auckland by steamer. Then, again, the district ought to be able to produce a considerable quantity of agricultural, garden, and orchard produce ; But, having no wharf, no reliable aud regular means of communication, such produce cannot be shipped, and so is not growD, to the loss both of the settlers and the community generally. No district can forge ahead if it is practically shut out from the outside world as is Parua, and as are many other places in the North. The people ought not to be content to go on as they have been doing. They ought to agitate to get a fair share of public money spent among them on suitable public works, and not rest satisfied with an isolated, humdrum life, which deters persona of means and more activity from settling in such localities.—l am, 4c., Progress. Auckland, January 14, 1879.