COAST SCENIC ROUTE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18583, 18 December 1934, Page 4

COAST SCENIC ROUTE

MARKED IMPROVEMENT BACK COUNTRY STANDARD MUCH SKILL NEEDED Although the worst portions of the •Coast, scenic route have been improved to a marked degree, making through traffic possible in fine weather, the Automobile still unable to recommend the roa* for general traffic. 1 The middle section of the road between Opotiki and Hicks Bay is of back country standard, and much skill is required in negotiating it, so that the average holiday motorists ■would be well advised not to undertake it. It is a matter , for regret that the Coastal route, which affords access to some of the most beautiful scenery in the Dominion, will not be suitable for Christmas and New Year traffic. The Automobile resident patrol, Mr A. A. Franklin, has just returned to Gisborne from a further visit to the Bay of Plenty coast, Mr Franklin found the Kereu River crossing to 'be much improved since his previous visit three weeks before. The bottom of' the ford is still rather soft, but presents little difficulty, provided the car is not stopped or stalled while negotiating the crossing. Thaffi. js little depth of water in the BaaPy kolcore River, and the ford is easy to negotiate after fine weather. With the assistance of a local resident, Mr Franklin erected eight pairs of stakes » to indicate the track across the bed of the Raukokore River. The new deviation at Dalamere on the Hicks Bay side of the Whangaparoa River, is in good order for dry weather travelling, but a length of 38 chains of this deviation passes through bush, and is inclined to become sticky after rain. The metalling of this section under contract will be commenced on January 2. Three very narrow and difficult fillings between Delatnere's and Me* Niven’s have been improved since Mr Franklin’s previous visit. The fillings have been widened, holes and ruts filled in, watortables opened, and the surface smoothed out, so that on that section of the road much more comfortable travelling is afforded. It is the intention of the Main Highways Board to metal the clay sections of the road for seven miles from Hicks . Bay towards Cape Runaway. The work will probably be commenced in February; and whjen it is completed there will be ari all-metal road from Hicks Bay to the Mangameka Stream. V Generally speaking, the Coastal route j affords reasonable travelling for a •back country clay road, but apart from the fact that after rain' the clay sec-

tions are impassable without the use of chains, there is always the danger that motorists will be held up by flooded rivers and streams.