GREAT KAURI FOREST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18606, 14 January 1924, Page 8

GREAT KAURI FOREST.

WAtPOUA STATE RESERVE.

HUNDRED MILLION FEET.

THROUGH ROAD WANTED.

OUTLET FROM HOKIANGA.

[BY TELEGBAI'H— SPECIAL BEPOUTEP..] DAK G A YTX.LS.'. Saturday.

It is estimated that 100,000 : 000 ft.. of ■Timber is contained in the Waipoua State Forest through which the Hon. J- G. Coates, Minister for Public Works and Kail ways, and his party pushed their wav on horseback yesterday. Ol this guantity 60.OCC',000ft. is kauri, making Waipoua easily the most important, kauri forest lefS in New Zealand.

The other two large remaining reserves are at I'ukiti and Warivwara. The former is reserved for the use of the railway department, and overlooks the Waihou F.iver near Kangiahua. It contains 40,000, of kauri and almost as much of mixed timber. The Warawara forestlies north of Hokianga and contains about 25,000.000 ft. of kauri, with considerable quantities of mixed timbers. How these forests are to be used has not yet been determined, but the policy will probably be defined when reports now being prepared on the rate of growth, etc., of indigenous forests are completed. So valuable- a forest as Waipoua is not being left unguarded against the risks of fire. All precautions are taken by the Forest Department, under whose control it. comes, and two forest guards are continuously employed in patrol work. A kauri giant was discovered in the aipoua about two weeks ago. Its girth is over 40ft. and its magnificent trunk rises 4uft. before it is broken by the first branch. But the forest is full of wonderful kauri specimens as was abundantly demonstrated to the party which yesterday urged horse over the rude track leading through the damp colonnades. The Journey from Rawene. The Minister left Rawen® by motor-car at 6 a.m. transferring Co the horses at Waimamakn. It was easy going for a mile or two and then a detour was made through open bush clearings. Finally the j forest was entered and progress was so j slow in places and so difficult that the | ride to Donnelly's Crossing occupied four j hours. The track was most primitive, j being little mere than a survey line with | a good deal of wet and boggy country. j Tho object of the ride was to examine j what is known as the centre route .through the forest*. The settlers who met the Minister at Waimamakrt wanted fhe Government to construct a road through the forest. This would give them direct access to the Kaihu railway, Dargaville, and Auckland. At present, to make" southward, they have to proceed eastward to Ka-wakawa for 50 miles before they can begin to approach their objective. The urged that all the traffic from the south-west of Hokianga, and large numbers of fat stock, would . proceed by what was described as the direct and natural route to the south. Moreover, it was claimed that the road ■would close an important gap in the highway communications on the west coast. From the tourist point of view the road would offer great attraction, proceeding as it would through the centre of the greatest kauri forest in New Zealand, or ■the world, and giving on the beautiful waters of the Hokianga. A road trip by 'the east and west coasts of the whole of North Auckland would also be made possible. .

Minister in Favour of Road. In reply, the Minister said he recognised the importance of the road. It was the solution for the settlers. Ha could therefore hold out no hope of the continuation of thd railway from Donnelly's Crossing. He would confer with the Minister in charge of the Forestry Department, -with a view to getting the read throagh. The road itselt will be about 78 miles in length from Donnelly's Crossing on the south to Katni, There is a metalled road there and a certain amount of formation beyond that, point, and then the proposed route drops to the Waipona Creek. At the edge of the forest the country rises again to a low saddle and drops into the Wairau River. From this there is a much longer climb necessary to overcome the watershed between the Wairau and Waimamaku where the track climbs about 1000 ft. This is the natural route from the southwest of Hokianga to the south and as one of the settlers stated.it will save the traveller half his present fare from Waimamakn to Auckland. A survey is being mads of she route, and it should be completed within three months. . ■ •

At Donnelly's Crossing is situated the timber mill from which the Public Works Department is supplying a great many of its works in the district. At present a great part of the output is going to the Portland-Huarau section of the Whangarei railway, and to '.the WaiotiraKirikopur.i spur Sine for station buildings and other works. The output is mostly kauri and averages 10,000 to *11,000 feet during ten months of the year.