LIFE AT WAIPIRO BAY.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2370, 29 May 1906, Page 5

LIFE AT WAIPIRO BAY.

We have received an interesting letter from the Rev. J. Blackburnc. who is now located at Waipiro Bay, and who acted .»s locum tenens during the absence of the Rev. H. S. Leach, vicar of St. Peter s Church, in Lngland. We make the following extracts from Mr. Blackburnes letter: With the exception of three or four wet days I have had simply splendid weather since I have been here. Lots of sunshine, warm days, very little wind. If it were not for the bad roads and the isolation this would bo an ideal part of the world to live in. As it is. there are many things that help to make life here very pleasant indeed. In area my present charge is immense, sonic 50 by 30 miles, and almost entirely hilly or mountainous. The li-faiice between the respective unities of population is considerable, am! tli mails and tracks in winlei arc very similar to the roads in Pongaroa district. I am often nearly a veek a"ay from home, and I Imd the long journey on horseback a very revere physical strain. . This

i; a wonderful pastoral country, and I am greatly i iiipre-xeil with the capaI ilitics ot the district. In the Waiapn Valley, and from there on to fink's Bay. there are thousands and thousands of acres ot land suitable tor dairying and close set ill nicut. But almost the whole ot it is owned bv the Maoris, and a large proportion of the northern side ot the Waiapu river is still in a state ot nature and unproductiveness. It only the land on the East Coast was held h\ Kill" - peans the population would soon lie treble!, and the district would go ahead by leaps and hounds. It doc seem such a shame to see so much splcndi I land practically locked nj> and the country inly sparseiv populated "hen there arc so many penpl ■ (tixunis to take it up and la. in it to the last advantage Since l‘c recent alterations in the Native I .it Settlement Act tin Maori an uakrig upsauni taking an i cm .(1 intei »i in pastOral.,pursuit s. Imt I am ati.ul they an cot snUjeL ntly industrious or mi l hodical enmigli to become useful fanners. The drink traffic t- a great curse to the Maoris on : lie

Hast Coast, and it "ill be a good day lor them when prohibition is carried in the olccioiate. I hero ::l" some good hot springs nboi ; hi miles I rom Waipiro. and it the Cm eminent take them over, as they talk of doing, they "ill soon become one of tile regular resorts lor invalids. The Waiapu Cour.tv authorities jre building a lair sized hospital at t m springs, which they expect to opa:l 111 about three months time. liter referring in the following eomnlinu utary terms to the “I’ahiatua Herald “It is a real, live newspaper, and to my mind one ot the host country publications in New Zealand. the Her. Mr. Blackburnc concludes by ask'iig us to remember him to all old Iriciids.