THE NATIONAL PARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17274, 25 September 1919, Page 6

THE NATIONAL PARK.

WAIMARINO-TOKAANU ROAD. BRIDGES BEING ERECTED. PROPOSED DEVIATION. Discussing his recent visit to the Tongariro National Park, the honorary warden, Mr. J. Cullen, 1.5.0., stated yesterday that during his visit he sowed two bags of heather seed on the National Park. This seed he obtained from the Scotch heather grown at Opepe, near the Napier Road, south of Taupo. Most of the heather he had sown four and a-half years ago was doing well. So, also, was some he had sown last year on the sidt* of on 6 of the smaller mountains, known as Pukeonake. The present road from Waimarino to Tokaanu was described by Mr. Cullen as being in excellent order. Prisoners were working on it, and had been building a number of bridges, one of which was now in hand at Mangatapo. All the rivers and streams between Waimarino and that point had now been bridged by the prisoners, who had done excellent work. They had cut all the timber in the bush, pitsawn it, and brought it out and erected all the bridges, under the supervision of the prison authorities. A great deal of the road had been metalled, and it was now one of the finest in the Dominion. There was a good quarry near the Whakapapanui River. Millions of tons of the best kind of scoria for roads was' being obtained there, and this, when spread, set like cement.

Mr. Cullen said it was expected that a start would shortlv be made with the deviation of 11 miles in the road from Waimarino to Tokaanu, which would shorten the route by from 12 to 14 miles. The present road runs south of Lake Rotoaira, and the new deviation will run north of the lake, and through the saddle between Kakaramea and Pihanga mountains. The grade would be excellent, he said, and the new road would open up some very fine views.