A ROAD WITH A HISTORY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17407, 4 November 1930, Page 4

A ROAD WITH A HISTORY

WAIKAREMO ANA-ROTORUA SIR JAMES CARROLL’S PART HON. R. J, SEDDON’S DIFFICULTY The interesting history connected with tlie opening of the new Waikare-moana-Rotorua road is outlined by Mr. G. C. Ormond in a letter to the Wairoa. Star, the important part the late Sir James Carroll played being placed on record. Mr. Ormond writes : In the early eighties, when the Queen’s writ did not run in the Urewera country, and there was a prospect of trouble with the inhabitants of that little-known district, the late Sir James, who was one of the few outsiders whom the natives of the Ruatahuna district admitted to their friendship, conceived the idea of preventing any trouble and civilising that people by opening up the district by means of a road. In furthering this project, a few years later, he persuaded the Premier, the Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon, to make a trip through the Urewera country, by a different route to Waikaremoana to the regular track past Whakataka, one which had been taken by the Ngatikahungunu force under Moiiaka about 1826 in their raid on Ruatahuna.

Mr. Seddon, accompanied 'by. Sir James, was able to gain the goodwill of the Tuhoe. chiefs, ~and came through to Waikaremoana by the same line as the new road which has just been opened. It was a pretty rough trip, and the party had to be lowered down the cliffs in places with the aid of vines, but got through to Hopuruahine safely: On arrival at the * lake they found it impossible to cross in the canoe, owing to the strong westerly gale, and had to camp. Food had run out, and there was little prospect of comfort. On searching! the baggage*, a cartridge was found, and a pigeon was seen near-by. The private secretary was picked out as the best shot, but he failed, and got a great dressing down in consequence. POWER OF THE GODS INVOKED The next day was still bad, but the crossing was tackled. When under Rahui the seas were running high, and the canoe started to fill. The crew gave in, and Sir Janies, who had been initiated in his youth into the sacred rites by the old tohungas, called on the god’s to moderate the waves and on the crew to paddle and to bale, and the party squeezed through. The settflers who "were waiting on the beach at Onepoto could see no sign of the canoe when it was in the trough of the waves. Mr. Bertram Lambert is the only one of those settlers still alive, so far as I know. .

As the result of that trip, the road was formed at the Wairoa end as a dray road from Onepoto to Matuahu, some 12 miles; and from Marupara to Ruatahuna through Te Whaiti, over the Tarapounamu saddle, some 20 miles, at the Rotorua end. The • intermediate position which has now been widened out was formed as a bridle track.

This much was done owing to Sir James Carroll’s efforts, find no other mau could have done it.

The first occasion when the road proved an advantage to the Government was when it was able to put a considerable force within a short distance of Mangapohatu from Rotorua in motor cars in a few hours and carry out the arrest of Rua in the year 1912. * Before tho days of the road, at election time, two returning officers went in from Wairoa over the track by Whakataka on to Mangapohatu. On arrival, the. natives asked what they wanted. The reply was that they had come to take the votes for the native member. The Tuhoe chiefs said that they would not vote, and replied; "There is food. In the morning go back.” The two returning officers who went in were Messrs. J. T. Large and Reavi and their mission was fruitless. The road was started in 1896, or thereabouts, and abandoned by the following Government. It was not gone on with again until about two years ago, being so far advanced in April last to allow motor cars to travel right through from Wairoa to Rotorua.