THE AWAKINO VALLEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18388, 2 May 1923, Page 11

THE AWAKINO VALLEY.

BEAUTIFUL MOTOR ROUTE. IMPORTANT HIGHWAY LINK. GOOD PROGRESS IN METALLING. The last few days of fine weather in the King Country have greatly improved the stato of the now Awakino Valley Road, and an Auckland motorist who returned yesterday from a trip to. Mokau reports the road to be in excellent condition. On the outward trip on Saturday, several bad patches on the unmetalled strip made the going very heavy, the car being bogged for an hour in one particularly bad hole, where five cars had been held up the preceding day. With the help of several road workers, the car was' finally /extricated, and no further hindrance of any kind was experienced. On the 'return journey, on Monday, the road was found to have benefited greatly by the sunny week-end, and the 52-mile trip from Mokau was made without wheal chains, and with only an occasional change of gear in the newlymetalled and rough portions. About 50 men are still busily at work metalling the road, which is now in infinitely better order' than when it was opened a mouth ago. The whole of the new road, which is 15 miles in length, is now metalled, with the exception of a fivo-mile strip on the Mahoenui side of the tunnol, some 35 . miles from Te Kuiti. The slips caused by recent rains have been cleared, but the treacherous nature of the papa cliffs, through which the road in some places has been cut, will probably give trouble , for a long time to- come. Careful driving is necessary throughout the whole 15, miles of the new route, for although the grade is excellent many miles of the road run through a narrow gorge, being merely a ledge cut in the face of a rocky cliff. with a fairly steep drop to the Awakino River, and many sharp bends. The presence of a large number of workmen with drays and horses makes it additionally necessary for all motorists to drive with care, and to keep" a sharp look-out when rounding the twists and turns of tho road.. Since tho new highway was opened, the old Taumatemaire Road, for long years the bane of every interprovincial motorist, has fallen into complete disuse, while the Awakino Valley route is rapidly gaining in popularity. During a fine, spell of weather a couple of weeks ago, an average of 15 cars is said to have passed over the new road daily. . Unlike many other ' forest ways, the Awakino Road has the attraction" of running on an almost completely, level -grade. The scenery for • several miles is exceptionally fine, some portions of it, in the opinion of' travellers, ' rivalling the far-famed Buller Gorge 'in beauty. The bush-clad hills rise from the bed of the Awakno River to a, height of nearly 200 ft., the road itself following the course of the river -right through the valley;- 1 '> ' '■ •'■■:;;/ '"-- : ;. •'„','■■'■..' ""..'n'j' : ; When the entire road has been metalled, It will: come into full use as one or the most important links in the main highway of the North Island, and will bAng TaranakVand Auckland into easier and .'swifter land communication than ever before :' As a- tourist route, it is i unexcelled in beauty by any highway 'in the "North Island. A' large portion of the splendid bush in the I Awakino Gorge has already been-destroyed, and it is sincerely - r - to be hoped that what is left of it will be permitted' to remain. Otherwise, the . natural beauty of the road will be irrevocably destroyed, and the new road will, in time come to present the samp' sadden-■ inn; spectacle of charred and .barren lullsides as already meets the eve of travellers on numberless roads from one end of the country to the other. ... ..