"THE ROADLESS NORTH"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18891, 13 December 1924, Page 12

"THE ROADLESS NORTH"

DISAPPEARING HANDICAP.

LOCAL BODY ACTIVITIES.

WORK DURING THE SUMMER.

[BX TKLEfiBAPH.— OWN CORRESPONDENT. WHANGAREI Friday.

Nowaday- the term " the roadless North " applicable to the North Auckland peninsula is rarely heard and " the winterless North " is the usual substitute. The highways a;re not yet perfect but they are now not much behind the general degree of development of the potential part of the province. Road formation this summer is being undertaken on a scale unequalled in the past. Special rating areas have been declared to give access to back blocks in many districts. In others everything possible has been done to warrant authorisation by the Main Highways District Council of metalling to bo carried out this season.

Among tho works undertaken t.y local bodies is the formation of the road at White Hills, between Kaikohe and Taheke, which has been completed. Authority is being awaited from the Main Highways Board to proceed with metalling. The Hokianga County Council has a crushing plant erected at Waima in readiness for authority from the Highways Board to metal the roads between Kaikohe and Rawene via Tnheke. The Bay of Islands County Council posseses plans and specifications ready ior metalling three miles of road from Kaikohe toward the Mangakahia Gorge, on the Kaikohe to Whangarei Highway. A public Works Department survey party, which has been laying off the widening of the road through the Mangakahia Gorge, expects to complete the task on Monday. In the northern end of Whangaroa County and the southern part of Mangonui the Public Works Department is undertaking metalling of the worst patches and this will enable the roads to be kapt open for traffic during next winter.

Unfortunately it is not only lack of road metal tfiat interferes with means of communication in North Auckland. During the past three days heavy rains have caused a recurrence of floods in the Waiotu district and the road to the north from Whangarei was blocked for motor traffic yesterday. A Blip on the road in the Mangakahia Gorge, which was cleared away to-day proved a barrier to the alternative route to Kaikohe.