EXPLORATIONS IN THE TAUTUTU BUSH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8398, 23 January 1889, Page 3

EXPLORATIONS IN THE TAUTUTU BUSH.

[By T. Mackenzie, M.H.R.]

Perhaps ub district in New Zealand has suffered so greatly nor is now feeliug the annoyance of past blunders in road surveys as the Oatlin's River district. It is a scandal the way in which surveyors who hold certificates of competency have laid off roads utterly regardless of future requirements. In the Owake Valley long stripes of road frontages have been sold through which the back country should have been tapped without any provision being made. The result is that large sums of money are required to purchase right of entrance which ought to have been reserved. Nor does this apply exclusively to the past. While at Oatlins I learned from practical bushmen—men well acquainted with tho back country—that roads which are meant to tap the good land up the river have been laid off in useless and impracticable places, and this has occurred within the past two years and in the face of past blunders, and the land through which the roads should have been graded has been alienated. The sooner the Provincial Survey department rectifies these mistakes tho better for the settlemeut of our waste lands. These remarks bring me to the reason of my present undertaking. THE CATLIN'S RIVEII HUSH. Some three years ago Messrs W. S Pillans, John Sharp, and the writer undortook the work of going through the Catlin's river hush, coming out at Fortrose, some 50 or CO miles from Oatliu's river, and were the first party to explore that vast forest from cud to end, We were greatly impressed with the land and timber. The bush contains an area of about 150,000 acres of fair to goad bush land, and in some parts patches of exeelleut timber. Since that time I have taken a great interest in opening up this country, having now explored great portions upon three occasions. The Hon. G. F. Richardson, Minister for Lands, and Mr James M'Kerrow, late Surveyor-general, shared with me the opinion that the country was capable of furnishing HOMES FOE lIUNDREDS OF FAMILIES. So impressed are these gentlemen with this conviction that this season they have with great forethought determined upon grading a road right through to the first river of importance, the Taukupu, which is about 13 or 14 miles from Catlin's estuary, and afterwards to continue the work up the Taukupu Valley. One of the most able ami trustworthy officers of the Survey department has been scl acted to undertake this arduous aud respousible work (Mr John Strauchau) of grading, what will become the

MAIN AKTKRIAT, HIGHWAY :rom Owake to Wyndham, as also the work of

exploring aud locating highways to tap the various valleys, &c. on the way. Mr Strauchan has finished the work of grading as far as the

Taukupu, and beiug anxious to see the route selected I requested Mr Strauchan to let me know when I might have an opportunity of going over the road. I was told that on Tuesday, the Bth, he would be goingjin from Catlins, aud that I might accompany him. Accordingly Tuesday morniug saw usß.way 011 Mr M'Corley's well appointed coach for Catlins. Tho following

morning we packed up swags and were conveyed up Catlin's lake by Mr Duncan Mackenzie as far as the Mackenzie stream. The

through road begins opposite Mr M'Farlane's mills, skirts the lake as far as the Mackenzie,

then follows that valley for some two or three miles, rises by an easy grade over some undulat-

ing hills until the valley of the Parakanui is reached. Other two Hat ranges are then

crossed, and the road eventually reaches the

valley of the Taukupu, distant 13 or 14 miles over a steep rocky face which had formerly been

;he coast line. Mr Strauchan had great trouble

in bringing his road down this part and also maintaining his grade of 1 in 15, which is the

steepest grade which occurs on the way, and that iv few places. Fortunately he struck one spot, and that the only possible place

for miles; and even then he had to avoid a cliff of 150fb high above and a

andslip of 50ft below.

After this the flat

is reached and the engineering difficulties of

ihe way are overcome. The road will then cross

the flat bwo miles, striking the Taukupu river at

■s narrowest part, then it follows the valley ol

the Taukupu for about 20 miles, when it will

rise over the saddle of the Devil's Backbone and

connect with the Wyndham section of the

Southland system of arterial roads, a distance

of 35 to 40 miles from Catlins, and traversing

Crown lauds for 35 milss of the way of superior

quality for the greater part, which I will after-' wards describe. I travelled over the whole

length of the graded road, and I declare most unhesitatingly that the work reflects the

greatest credit to Mr "Strauchan's engineering ability. He must have gone to great labour in searching for the very best passable route, and sacrificed the record of getting through work quickly, so often disastrous to thoroughness, for the permanent benefit of the couutry. When I arrived at Taukupu and realised that I had not encountered a grade steeper than 1 in 15—less than some of) the grades in George street —I could hardly believe that I had gone through the country which I had twice before travelled, floundering through deep gullies and over high hills, but such was the case. THE WORK TO T!E DONE ON THE ROAD. Mr Strauchan has also taken a careful note of every place where a road is likely to be required leading off the main trunk road, ami if his wisa forethought be adhered to the costly and irritating troubles such as have occurred in connection with roads in the settled parts of the Owake will be avoided. The road will be cleared two chaiua wide, and the central half chain stumped or cut level with the surface formation; the bush will bo burned off, and grass seed sown over the surface. Culverts and bridges will be placed where required. The Hon. G. F. Richardson and Mr M'Kerrow cannot be too highly commended for thus opening up so valuable a part of the public estate prior to sale, thereby enabling intending selectors to view the land. VILLAGE SETTLERS. I will now give a running account of my trip

through. The fir.st object of interest which wo met with was the clearing of the village settlers at Catlin's river. They all appear to be doing well, and have fine comfortable cottages erected upon their clearings, with well laid off gardens, where vegetables and potatoes appear to thrive most luxuriantly. These settlers are greatly aided at present by obtaining regular work from Mr T. Brown, a gentleman who is displacing great enterprise in clearing two of his estates. I also heard that he purposes erecting a saw mill soon, as well as begiuning to clear a large area recently purchased by him. Men of Mr Brown's stamp are of incalculable assistance to a new district. From our boat on the •Catlin's lake we could see the clearings and pleasant cottages of mauy of the homestead settlers, notably those of Messrs Shaw, Draper, Findlater, Glass, and others. Our boat took us up the Mackenzie for some distance, where a good school building is erected. We then passed aloui? the boundary of Messrs Moncar, Dewer, Moir, and Uoberts' clearings, We called upon Messrs Moir and Roberts, from whom we learned that they were well satisfied | with having ventured into the back woods. They ?aid that it was the homestead system which had induced them to come to the colony. Mr Moir has a family of three daughters and a boy, and with their hl!lp alone ho has cleared between -\5 and 50 acres of laud—part of which is sown down in grass. Ho has a most comfortable house containing four large rooms, as also numerous outbuildings, a line garden and a herd of 20 cattle. He lias 150 acres yet to clear. When this is done he says he can then look forward to living in comfort for the rodt of his life. Mr Roberts has to depend upon his owu efforts; Iris family consists of a sturdy boy of about one .summer. His experience of bush clearing, ha lold us, was confined to culling down one tree prior to his departure to this colony. Yet be has plenty of go, and says ho is gutting along well, and he and his wife are as happy as the day is long. From what I wuv and learned of Messrs Moir and Hoborl« —and indued of the wholeof tho homestead settlers—l should buy that they are tho men to liwlp to build up a young colony — not r.friiid of hard work. Mr Roberts iris carried everything on his back up to his selection—great ooi's of barbed wire, brig.-; of (lour, &c. it is just two years since the sot.tlurs Look up their land. We reached the crossing of Ihe old tra<:k about noon, <iud Mr Sfcrauub.au having some neHsurements and culverts to attend to, [ left him, and explored the country ip and down until 6 o'clock. The next morning wo followed the lino until we reached tho L'arakauui river. At this point I left Mr StraueYmn ; he continuing on to camp at Taukupu, and 1 to explore the. forest up and down this fine river. The afternoon I devoted to the lower valley, returning to my camping ground at 8 o'clock. On the way home I knocked over a finfi pigeon with my " and cooked him for supper Maori fashion. I was up early next day and struck inland, and went thro igh some, very fine country, but lightly timbered. I returned to my tent at 1 o'clock, and, after eating my last biscuit, packed up, and reached Mr Stranohan'.s camp at 3 p.m. After partaking of a. good dinner oft' wild lieef I accompanied Mr S. over the part of tho road line leading down tho nlilfs. It was rather rough work, but one does nob think much of a liUlu climbing after doing a mouth or s-ix weeks' exploring in the Milford country.