HAURAKI PENINSULA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15554, 11 March 1914, Page 6

HAURAKI PENINSULA.

THE: TAIRUA VALLEY. \. MAGNIFICENT • SCENERY. FERTILE ■ FLATS. No. VHI. [by otjb special commissioner.] On a hot Sunday morning I left Whenuakite, in company with Mr. William Hamilton, and rode toward the Tairua Valley. For a considerable part of the journey the track passed through • fairly high and somewhat steep country, which had once been covered with heavy bush, the gigantic stumps of kauris showing that it had yielded much valuable timber. The ridges and slopes were in many places covered with a luxuriant growth of microlama stipoides, commonly known as the meadow rice-grass. I have noticed this grass growing amazingly well in all parts of the Hauraki Peninsula, and in conjunction with the Danthonia . pelvsa '. and Danthonia semi annularis, it seems to be spreading fast wherever it has been given an opportunity to fight against scrub and fern. I heard a good deal of discussion regarding this grass during my recent travels, and some unfavourable opinions were expressed, but if experience in other : parts of New Zealand is of any value, . settlers on the peninsula should congratulate themselves on seeing tiiis • grass establish itself on the broken country. It must be remembered that the hills of the Hauraki Peninsula have been brutally used, as far as farming is concerned. As soon as the valuable timbers were cut out, and some time before, fire after fire has been sent raging through the beautiful forests. It does not matter whether the prospector or the gumdigger, or anyone else started the fires, the State was most to blame in not seeing that grass seed was sown wherever the flames had cleared the ground. If this liad been dune, a very large portion of the peninsula would now have been covered with valuable pasture instead of with fern and . scrub. From Whenuakiti to Tairua. For the first part of our journey through the microlaena country we rode through a 5000-acre estate held by Mr. G. T. Bailey, but when nearing the Tairua we entered the property of Mr. Corry Wright, who holds about 3000 acres hereabouts. After winding down from the high country by a narrow track through deep fernclad ravines, we opened out the beautiful Tairua Valley, and saw Mr. Corry Wright's fine new residence, situated on a terrace, and backgrounded by a charming bit of bush. We broke our journey at Mr. Wright's place, and I had the opportunity of seeing something of the drainage work he is Carrying on to improve the extensive flats by the edge of the river, and to notice the luxuriant pastures of clover and mixed grasses already .established on the higher ground. Jhere is ample evidence to show that here, as elsewhere on the peninsula, intelligent work well carried out turns all classes of country into good farming land. The mild climate enables hardy grasses to flourish on the steepest and highest hills, and the alluvial flats apparently only need cultivation to turn them into dairy farms or cropping lands. A Romantic Valley. The Tairua Valley is one of the most beautiful and romantic parts cf the Hauraki Peninsula. The river from which it takes its name is one of the largest on the eastern fall of the main divide, and is navigable for about 10 miles. The port has long been used by shipping, but of late years the wharf on the main channel has been allowed to fall into disrepair. Apparently the Government or the local bodies responsible for the seaports of the peninusla seem to think that since timber milling and gold mining are not as flourishing as they were, that shipping should be no longer catered for. This is a very serious mistake. Farming is going to supply more trade in the future. than any other industry, has supplied in the past, and the success of farming absolutely depends upon good communication.' A very small expenditure would supply places like Port Charles, Kennedy's Bay, and Tairua with facilities for shipping, and .if Mr. Massey wishes to see this part of New Zealand develop as it should do, wharves of some kind will have to be provided for' these eastern harbours. Late in the afternoon I rode up the Tairua Valley a.;; far as Hikuwai, with Mr. Niccol, who has a very fine property at that place. The track is nothing to boast of, though it is comparatively level most of the way. We had to ford a tidal arm for about Lilf a mile, which makes an impassable barrier to vehicles, and practically to horsemen, at high water, but things have much improved in this respect since I last rode up this valley in the "face of one of the fiercest storms which ever raged over the Auckland Province. Farm Land at Hikuwai. There is a large amount of flat land and c'ultivatable hill slopes all the way up the. Tairua, but at Hikuwai, known in the old days as the Upper Landing, there is as fine a stretch of farming country as one cau find' anywhere. There must be fully 3000 acres of alluvial 'flats in the locality besides easy hill slopes which will come in well for winter root crops. A I rode along the banks of the river and looked westward I saw a picture which could not easily be rivalled in any part of the world for beauty and novelty. The curiously shaped peaks, the fantastic crags, and the slender pinnacles of the main ranges seem to form a semi-circle that half encloses the upper valley, whilst seaward the peaceful Tairua winds through pleasant farm lands or through lands which are yet to be made into farms. *» Productive Farm. The property belonging to Mr. Niccol covers about a thousand acres, mostly flat. As an indication of its fertility I was assured that 300 cattle had been carried for. a long time on 600 acres of grass, and that some of the three-year-old bullocks fed here scaled 10001b. A paddock of 65 acres wintered 90 head of cattle, and another paddock of 36 acres carried 105 head of cattle for a fortnight, and even then was not eaten out. On the slopes of the hills a considerable amount of ground ha s been ploughed and put into turnips and there can be no doubt about all this ploughable hill country growing either roots or grass. As to the flat land it can certainly be classed as a cow to the acre dairying land if a little winter feed is provided. "Probably a good deal of the hill country about the upper watershed of the Tairua will be considered too rugged and broken for pasture, but it seems to me that wherever the' bush has grown, and it has grown over the greater part of the ranges, pasture can be made, and wherever • pasture is made sheep can be fed. ' The Curse of the Peninsula. So far as I have seen after travelling over the greater part of the Hauraki Peninsula there is only one serious drawback to its development as a prosperous ' farming district and that drawback is the prevalence of blackberries. They are to to be seen nearly everywhere, on the hills ' as well as on the flats, on the eastern fall as well as on the west. Where the hardy ' glasses have been established the country is practically free of the pest and it is ' possible that the frequent burnings off which help to spread danthonia, micro- • lamas, fescues and paspalum help to kill , out the blackberry as -well as the scrub , and fern. The Government, through its ' Land, Department should certainly take into consideration the danger of this black- < berry becoming a more dangerous pest i than, it is now. It would pay the State i to even give away tracts of rough country infested with ' this plant under 'condition i that its owners undertake' to eradicate 'it' <