FUTURE OF KAWHIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18458, 23 July 1923, Page 9

FUTURE OF KAWHIA.

-•V".■■'.' '• ■■ — o - ", , .vw'_ . <; ':'. : .-:7' ; AWAITING DISCOVERY. POSSIBILITIES AS A PORT. By C. Mint. v.' There is probably no part of the Auckland province which ha failed, to .fulfil its predicted future so markedly as the district and seaport of Kawhia, for, with its vast harbour, possessing qualities absolutely pre-eminent on the western seaboard of the North Island,, in close prox- . amity to the railway system, offering the readiest port access to a large and productive province, the township of Kawhia still awaits discovery and development. There are several explanations for this non-realisation of its destiny, one of them, which is believed and expounded most earnestly by many residents in the district, being' that the -jealousy of the Cityof Auckland felt against the seaport which lies nearest to Sydney, has manfested itf self in a campaign, of rivalry and opposition, and however seriously this may be taken by Aucklanders, the geographical claim has foundation. 1 ,

.*'■ Tucked away in the south-western cor-, ner of the province, Kawhia is known very little outside the district it serves, the chief reason being the particularly awkward access from the railway. Until recently, the visitor to Kawhia left the train at To Awamutu, took coach for, Pirongia, and after a night at that township, spent the following day in an arduous, though interesting, journey across the southern spurs of the Pirongia mountain to the Oparau River landing,, where a • launch, with a favourable tide, crossed the. expanse of harbour to Kawhia township. Now, with the opening of a new road touching the southern end of the great roadstead, passengers may leave the Main Trunk at Otorohanga, and after a coach run of 24 miles, reach the Hauturu landing, from which point a launch from Kawhia connects for the harbour trip.' The greater convenience of this route has resulted in the district receiving an influx of visitors, and the pioneers of the settlement are again voicing their op- ! timism regarding the growth of the port when the possibilities of its service to. the province become more widely known. The immediate prospects .of the district are certainly good, for with the improved access, fhere should be no delay in peopling the broad fertile valleys which • meet , the harbour on its southern shore, and even the . surrounding hills have the makings of splendid stock country, with their rich papa ridges, excellent for grass, and with an extraordinary copious rainfall. Also, in this region there are two features which, occurring as they do, in such close proximity to each other, suggest enormous possibilities for the future the magnificent Marekopa Falls, stated to be , one of' the most economically-de-veloped sources of electrical energy. in the Dominion, and" at its river mouth, : the limitless beaches '. of . ircnsand. When the chemist has perfected his research, and the ironmaster has sensed his opportunity, the district may see the beautiful cascade displaced and the long black sand-banks yielding their treasure. * Further to the north the slopes of the Pirongia Mountain ■■ carry thousands of acres of heavy, runu bush, and if better ; use were only made of this western seaway, we should see that valuable timber brought to the city as a worthy substitute for the vanishins; kauri in the construction of our buildings. 1 '■■'; ' , ■•":'; ;A, Scattered Township. ', The township of Kawhia is not prepossessing in appearance. Sited on the northern side of the i harbour, • where the 'deep channel from the entrance hugs the low sandy shore, , its short pier' wharf; provides a berth of great depth and security, but, viewed as a structure, it does«not suggest pretentiousness or v the effectiveness which it possesses. ■ The : buildings of the township are jittered around on the curved slopes of several bays, and lack the appearance of. concentration which .one expects of a seaport, while a; most disturbing feature of i the landscape ;is the sand-drifts on the Beaward. side. These sand deposits have been moving, steadily inland, and were a matter of concern to the residents until- measures were taken for ; their., control. '• At , the - present time, the dunes reach the outskirts of the town, and stretch away to : the west :in ■.'■' rolling wastes of "glistening• gray, r unmarked by plant or tree, and void; of any sign, of life except-the carious) winding tracks 'of the sand lizard. ; : l Where this '■>> sand "':. stretch skirts the harbour, there exists on the beach a powerful hot tspring, .possessed of valuable medical qualities, : but owing^ to . the; fact that at high tide v the spot is under water, the intending bather most choose '■ a. Tim e,. and go . armed ■: with i a spade to ! - open up ; the silted ■;; sand r > which fills the pool. . Local tradition says that Kawhia; was a landing place for - the first Maoris who reached . New \ Zealand, and I the { natives thereabouts tell of a spot" on. a ridge near the town where one of the great mwaikii canoes lies under'; ■ great depth; of v sand; its stem and stern - marked by boulders which aro raised >on : the'sanddi^ft.-as the relentless wind storms bring and deposit their,burdens.. ' '~';.•'''''

Ideal Fishing ." Ground. - The great harbour, with its- hundreds of inflowing streams,.forms a splendid feeding ground ; for fish, and with a slight ■ knowledge of ; tides and banks, it'is possible for a; visitor ; with lines andi: bait to become surfeited with success when the changing tide brings in the shoals ( of' fiercely hungry schnapper, speeding up the channels for their prey. '~•■'..'-. ;;'As is only natural, ; there , is ■ quite a fleet of launches and 'boats on this great water-way, and an active occupation lies in the transport of cream and 7 stores from surrounding>. settlements, while the in-, creasing demand- and use for the ; Awsroa; coal is , beginning ;to make necessary ;_ a system of I. delivery around t the harbour, to and from the mine workings. Thft exact number of ;■ craft in use about/ th; 3 harbour is v never guessed until the great event of the year, the regatta, when the; whole ":., district makes holiday, arid the numerous sports and ■ races ; form, an attraction : without rival. ' Wa claim j-j to be a sporting nation, and have many evidences in support of ■ cur claim, 'but -.'l' know of no athletic contest in the I ?,oantry which excels in true sportsmanship the whale-boat race held each year on the harbour, between the crews drawn from the surrounding settlements. -, . The districts competing I are not closely settled, so '■ that/ : there are few men to I choose the -team from, and the prospect I. of » victory - depends ■ more upon making oarsmen ; than selecting them,;;/ besides which the tremendously strenuous nature of the : race demands a' longsjieriddl. of intense training and"' abstemiousness. There is also the \ lack of any recompense beyond the pure sense of victory,; which eliminates all the' objectibnab'/e features which affect athletics. The vace is ■: the occasion ■■/[ of fierceV excitement when the whole population turns out to. witness the prowess of their district oarsmen, the rivalry between settlements works to, a high pitch, with keen feeling, and perhaps a little jealousy. '. : '.-- ■'l-'-.-v: " : ; . ~ Holiday Attractions.

The • commercial progress, ■ and! ; qualities of Kawhia are matters fern the future to decide, ~ but , the attractions -i which it has to-day, are sufficient to ..warrant the attention or tne visiting -'.-public.' With a. settings of picturesque beauty, it h offers a holiday ground of rare quality "and convenience, and there are # few districts which possess such a variety of interesting localities. However long the journey which the trip would require, there would be found ■ ample rcnaymsnt'■■ in the charms of , that region, .the rolling -: breakers '•: of the ] Tasman beating on the Te (Maika headland, the still creeks and rivers over-' hung with dense bush, the sweeping tides in the f channels, Maori legend and history, and the hospitality of the Kauhia peoples