THE AWAKENING OF THE NORTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12194, 13 February 1903, Page 3

THE AWAKENING OF THE NORTH.

No. IV.

ON HOKIANGA WATERS.

FROM TAHEKE TO RAWENE.

[BY OUR SPECIAL RKrOUTER.]

The drive from Kaihu to Taheke, covering as it does nearly 50 miles of undeveloped country between the waters of the Wairoa and an arm of the Hokianga Harbour, supplies singularly little material to write on. This is largely due to the fact that one can see little of the district owing to the allprevailing bush and partly to the fact that the settlers who have made their homes near the main road have done singularly little to test the quality of the land, and have done that little badly. Men who will not make gardens or plant fruit trees, who leave their houses unpainted for ten years, and only fell half the timber on land intended for grass, are not the men to test the value of any land. This vast tract of country has been largely judged by the handful of settlers who occupy a small portion of it, and, consequently, it has not received the consideration it deserves. Such country is ill-suited to poor riien without experience of bush lands, but I should like to raw the attention of Taranaki people and Australians with money to this district, as I am certain that if the bush were properly underscrubbed, and all, instead of half, the trees felled, a good burn could be obtained, and after the burn good grass. With seasous like the present one it might be difficult to secure a good burn; but the idea that this portion of New Zealand is too wet to allow the bush to be cleared is a stupid one. The district is not so web as some parts of Taranaki and one or two settlers who have gone to work in a thorough and sensible manner have proved beyond doubt not only that the bush can be completely burnt but that the ground will make good pasture. I know there are hundreds of people in various parts of New Zealand and elsewhere who are anxious to secure cheap lands, and this is one of the districts they should visit and examine for themselves.

Taheke is a pretty little place on a navigable fresh-water river, which empties into the Waima arm of the Hokianga Haibour. The river is not unlike the Waipa above Te Roreslow, deep, and fringed with willows. I do not think anybody with taste will be grateful to the individuals who planted the willow on the banks of our North Auckland rivers. They block up the stream and make a detestable monotony of form and colouring, besides making the water difficult of access.

On the eastern side of the Taheke begins the volcanic country which stretches right across the island, making some of the richest pastures in the world where it has been properly laid down in grass. It is said that some of the paddocks in the settled part of this volcanic belt will fatten four bullocks to the acre in a good season, and there are many thousands of acres of similar country lying idle in the bands of the natives. A friend of mine, who held land in this volcanic belt, assures me that there is nothing to equal it in New Zealand, and he knows the farming country in the South Island and Taranaki thoroughly well. We arrived at Taheke late on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning voyaged down the river in Mr. Glover's oil launch to Rawene. We boarded the launch near an orchard, where the trees literally bent under their weight of fruit, though they were only five years old. This voyage from Taheke to Rawene was most delightful. In spite of the fact that it was raining, and that a strong wind was blowing up the river, I could not lose the charming sceneiy by seeking shelter. The willows spoil some of the views, but for the greatest part of the way there was a succession of lovely pictures. Great alluvial flats, on which were quaint Maori villages, wooded slopes coming down to the water's edge, stately tree ferns like tropical palms overhanging the stream, and masses of luxuriant forest vegetation, formed exquisite backgrounds to smooth reaches. A few miles down the Taheke the Waima River comes in from the south-west, and one has a peep at two magnificent valleys. I do not know how far the laheke runs back, but it seemed to stretch for many milesalluvial flats at the bottom and easy slopes on each side rising to beautifully wooded hills. The Waima is equally extensive, and contains great areas of level land. We saw something of this valley when we were high above it on the road to Taheke the previous day, and admired its sheltered beauty. Its western boundary is the picturesque group of hills known as Ngapukehana, 2576 ft in height, and it runs southwards to the foot of Mount Wekaweka.

It was at Waima. where what is known as the Rawene war, or the dog tax trouble, began with the Maoris a few years ago, and one can easily imagine that if the Maoris had really determined on fighting they could have given the authorities serious trouble, for 1 it would required a. large force to dislodge an active enemy in that place. Beyond the junction of the Waima. the river broadens out into a noble waterway, over half a mile in places, and maintains this width for a considerable distance. It .is nearly twenty miles from Taheke to Rawene, and in this stretch of valley I do not think there are more than two European houses. All the land is in the hands of the Maoris, and lies idle. With navigable water, alluvial flats, and gently-sloping hills, this valley should offer splendid facilities for settlement. Some day no doubt this beautiful valley will be dotted with comfortable homes, and the produce of dairy farms and orchards and vineyards will be carried down that peaceful Waima stream. When I think of men making their homes on stony African veldts, and dry Australian plains, fighting against drought and flood, and many another difficulty, and winning after all only a moderate reward for their labour, I wonder why so much of North Auckland is desolate of inhabitants. Surely if people had their choice they would prefer to make their homes by "this beautiful arm of a beautiful harbour, in a climate where extremes of cold and heat are never known, and where rain and sunshine seem to come in just the right quantities to anything the great continents can offer. African karoo, Canadian prairie, Australian plain, with their bitter winters or burning summers, offer no such pecuniary rewards as these Auckland lands, with their incomparable beauty and their incomparable climate, and the only reason why emigrants are flocking to the continents and neglecting this country is that the advantages of this country are not made known. The Official Year-Book, published by the Government, says nothing about Waima or Taheke Valleys, nothing about the promise of dairying or stock farming in the North, whilst our Agent-General, Mr. W. P. Reeves, boldly tells the people of England that there is no available land for settlement in this country. If Official YearBook and Agent-General would tell the world of these Auckland districts there would be few idle acres north of the Waitemata.

When our little craft reached Rawene the breeze had risen to a strong pale, and our first view of the Hokianga Harbour was through driving mists of rain. Still no sort of weather can rob this harbour of its beauty or of the strange charm which clings to it under every aspect. Raweno is built on a green promontory between the Omania and Waima tidal arms— quaint little townshipon a site fit for a Royal city. I only saw the place under grey skies and hurtling winds, but it struck me as being exceptionally picturesque. It should become a place of considerable importance when the lands of the Waima and the Omania Valleys become settled. Dairying will no doubt be carried oh at first, but in that land of summer grape vine and peach will take the pla.ee of grass and produce far more wealth than milk can do. I visited one orchard near the township and saw some fine young peach trees apparently as healthy as trees can be, and bearing a fair crop of excellent fruit. The owner informed me that the main difficulty of fruitgrowers there was the want of a market; but there seems to have been no organised effort to send early selected fruit to Wellington or the South Island towns, where it should command a good 'price. Although a steamer only leaves Rawene once a week for Onehunga there should be profit in shipping early particularly if it is carefully graded and well packed. Mid-season or late season fruit would not perhaps be worth shipping, but this could be canned or bottled. I was informed that several hundred acres of land quite iear to Rawene suburban land, iu fact—was to be

shortly offered for sale at lour or five pounds per acre, and it Aucklanders bad as much faith in the future of the North as they ought to have they would rush such land as soon as it is put up by the auctioneer. I believe an attempt is being made at Rawene to start fruit canning in a small way, and if this undertaking succeeds it should give a great impetus to fruitgrowing in the locality. It would be a simple matter for crchardists on the Waima or Omania to bring their fruit to Rawene by boat. Such excellent water communication is a big advantage, and will play an important part in helping these men of the North to compete against canucd fruit imported from California.

What father need trouble about the future of any healthy lad whilst New Zealand offers a market for thousands and thousands of pounds' worth of imported fruits yearly, and Hokianga lands can grow nearly every class of fruit we pat? I saw in one neglected garden a fig tree, an orange tree, and a banana tree all bound together by an immense grape vine. Lemons do really well in many parts of Hokianga, There is a crumbly, porous limestone which should suit this fruit, and the grape vine also admirably, though both appear to be thriving on the clay soils. Hokianga is bound to become a great fruitgrowing place, for the advantages in this direction are manifest, and if the State would only organise this industry as it is organised in California Californian fruits would soon bo ousted from our markets.

Wo voyaged down the Hokianga Harbour in t*ie s.s. Glenelg to Opononi before a northeast gale, accompanied by heavy rain, reaching there in the gloom of a stormy evening. Next morning, however, was brilliant with sunshine, and we saw what Hokianga is like in summer weather. Opononi seems to consist of Mr. Andrews' hotel and store and Mr. John Webster's residence. The hotel is built light on the edge of the harbour—high tides lapping its verandah. There is a magnificent beach for bathing at Opononi, and the fishing is wonderfully good. Schuapper, trevalli, kahuwai and several other varieties can bo caught freely from the wharf, and the water is frequently alive with mullet.

We arrived at Opononi late one evening and next morning we were on our way southward along the West Coast to Kawerua and the Mauugauui Bluff. This journey almost made us complete the circle round the western half of the Northern Peninsula, between the Waitoa and Hokianga, the only gap being from the Maunganui Bluff to Kaihu, a distance of about fourteen miles.

(To bo continued.)