A GREAT WATERWAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18026, 27 February 1922, Page 9

A GREAT WATERWAY.

THE KAIPARA HARBOUR. I ACCESS TO VAST ' ARENAS. POSSIBILITIES OF TRADE. The majority of New Zealanders—even {he mass of our own citizens—have little conception of the magnitude of the great northern waterways giving access to the vast areas on the northern peninsula, which once carried the kauri forests, but are now rapidly, being developed into some of the richest and the most promising dairy country in the Dominion. Tho Kaipara is by far the largest harbour in New Zealand, and receives the waters of the largest navigable river in Australasia, but while these facts are undisputed they do not convey sufficient to indicate tho future possibilities of these vast commerce) inlets of the Tasman Sea. The Kaipara has a total foreshore of about 750 miles and fully 40 miles of deep water channels, capable of accommodating vessels up to 20.000 tons. In the early days of settlement navigation was a somowhat precarious business, based as it was purely on local and individual knowledge, and necessitating the continuous use of the land for those not conversant with local conditions, but this is not the case to-day. The harbour is now so well lighted and buoyed that most of the passengor steamer traffic passes between Helensville and Dargaville at night time with little or no inconvenience. Priosto the year 1885 the vessels visiting the port were of small tonnage, but as the timber export business grew in volume larger and larger ships were attracted, and at the period when the yearly export of timber had reached a total of 30,000.000 to 40,000,000 superficial feet it was not an uncommon sight to see as many as 30 overseas traders waiting in the Kaipara and the Northern Wairoa River for a favourable breeze. At that time the Northern Wairoa River was dotted with huge mills, ruthlessly demolishing the great kauri forests, which today are bat a memory. It is established that during the past 20 years quite 400 million feet of kauri have been cut and shipped, mainly from the Northern Wairoa. Height ot Timber Industry. The industry on the river was at its height about 40 years ago when tho timber was easy of access, although it had ita birth as far back as 1840, when the British Admiralty, through its agenta, let contracts to the Maoris for the supply of spars. The first sawmill, however, was built in 1665, at Aratapu, and later acquired by Messrs. Brown and Campbell, of which firm the late Sir John Logan Campbell was a member. This was followed bv the Mititai mill, in 1866, and the Te Kopuru mill commenced cutting in 1871, while many smaller plants commenced operations on other sites along the river. To-day there is no mill south of Dargaville, while north there is only the Tsngowahine mill, Allen's mill at Hoanga having recently been dismantled, showing that the industry is rapidly dying out. Unfortunately the district has Little to show for this activity of earlier years, the great wealth produced having gone elsewhere, but the land, which once earned immense forests of the noble _ kauri, is now being brought into cultivation by tho newer generation of dairy farmers _ and, promises to bring increasing and continued prosperity to the district. Shipbuilding Activities. As was only natural with the iinest ship-building Umber in the world done fit hard, shipwrights found ample scopei for the exercise of their skill, and early in the forties the first vessel, a fourteen-ton mission schooner, was built by Captain Stephenson, although in later years some of the smartest vessels trading on the New Zealand coast were built on the liver , , Before the use of steam became general on the river many fine sailing vessels were lost t,t the heads, particularly inside the North Spit, which is now guarded by a modern lighthouse. This spot earned the unenviable name of " the graveyard, and to-day the remains of some of these unfortunate ships can be seen, while huge kauri logs, which formed part of tfeeur cargoes, arfi strewn along the beach. A Commercial Highway. The value of the Northern Wairoa River as a commercial highway is shown by the fact that large ocean-going steamers such as the Uricii Steam Ship tompany sKaituna and KaintagaU, vessels of 2042 and 2005 tons resoectively, have been taken up to Tangowahine, a distance of 50 miles above the Kaipara Heads, and the VVaihora (4638 tons) and the Largo Law (4000 tons) have been loaded at Tataranki, near Te Kopuru, 28 miles up the river Much larger vessels than these could fioat at the Te Kopuru Wharf at low water. The largest cargo of timber taken from the Kaipara in one bottom was that loaded into the Wairuna, afterwards sunk by the German raider Moewe. This vessel loaded 2,260,000 super feet of timber at Tatarar ri'ki for Sydney. . The cargo traffic on tho river to and from Auckland has more than doubled during the last ten years, as shown by the check taken at the county wharves In 1911 the up cargo amounted to 3354 tons and the down cargo to 776 tons, while in 1921 the figures were 7543 tons and 2354 tons respectively. This does not include the butter shipped by the Northern Wairoa Dairy Company, whose output tlus year is about 1500 tons. In earlier years, *hen return cargoes of timber could be guaranteed, merchants were able to land goods from Dunedin for 10s a ton freight, but to-day the rail charges from Auckland to Helensville and steamer freights from the latter port to Dargaville bring the tcul to about 30s a ton.' In view of tins there is a feeling in some'quarters that the day is not far distant when the river ports will be served by small refrigerated steamers which will carry the districts produce direct to the large ports for transhipment to the world's markets, while others see no reason why the North should not develop a meat, wool, and butter exporting business sufficient to warrant large overseas vessels loading in the Kaipara Harbour. Bridge at Dargaville. For many "ears vehicular traffic approaching Dargaville from tho eastward has been compelled to cross the river by ferry, landing at Aratapu. This ferry has been in use for the past 23 years, and has proved of almort incalculable value to the settlers. The phenomenal development which lias taken place throughout the district has already rendered the ferry inadequate, and a fine bridge is now in course of erection. The site is a few hundred yards above the Dargaville town wharves, where the centre tiers of piling have already been placed in position. This new bridge will place vast areas of good iand across the river in intimate touch with Dargaville, to the ultimate bene:it of the town. For this reason the borough has undertaken to bear a large share of the cost of construction. The contract let for the work involved an expenditure of £38,000. but it is calculated that another £6000 will be required to complete the approaches and put in the winding engines for lifting the centre span. All piling will be of reinforced concrete, and the under-structure of rolled steel joists, with wood decking. The centre span will be fitted with two leaves, which, when lifted, will leave a 60ft. opcr.ins for the passage of up-river traffic. Tho Hcbson County Council contributes £8500 to the cost of the bridcte, the Government a subsidy not exceeding £18,000, and the borough the remainder. The contractors now have sufficient material on hand to proceed with the work, and should have the structure readv for use within the next two years. The harbourmaster, Captain Daniel Savident. who resides at Te Kopuru, traded to the Kaipara nearly 35 years ago, and w»« appointed to his present position in 1906.