The Happy Valley.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11820, 18 November 1901, Page 2

The Happy Valley.

FROM STRATFORD TO WHAN&AMOMONA.

Accepting the kind invitation Of Mr Newton King to accompany him to Whangamomona last week, a Taranaki Herald representative had the opportunity of seeing something of that great country to the east of Stratford, about which so much has already been written in these columns. The experience was valuable, as well as interesting, for it is impossible to quite realise the extent and fertility of Taranaki 's hinterland without actually seeing for one's seif. One may have figures at his fingers' ends relating to the acreage of the large blocks of land opened up by the Ohura Road, but it is only when travelling mile after mile, up to forty nnd lifty miles from Stratford, and seeing the vastness of the forest, stretching as far as the eye can reach, and far beyond, that any conception can be gained of what a future this district.- has before it, when those forests, as yet scarcely touched by axe and fire, are brought into full productiveness. The OlVura Roaei opens up and serves over a million acres ,of landj, much of it good, some indifferent^ but scarcely " an acre of absolutely waste land, and when it is remembered that the area -under occupation — that is, in grass -or cultivation — in the whole province/" including the comparatively little yet brought: .into. ±he— !Ljmut:oxetL "xateg^pjCals. oflfj the Ohura and; tr^butajcy,;rpatisy is scarcely ! mortf 1 than' a\imlHdn4teres it. will be realise/a that Taranaki has only begun to develop its resources.

Quite a/ large party assembled. »U Mi-, King's. Sti;atfor.d. Mart- ; -a:t--ip.3(\ a an., oh Wednesday Vast', bounds Ion : th*e_ Whangampmona -cattle .sale",' 'andti^few. r jninutes later a start" " -vtais' hTa'deT the party occupying two-bug^-' gies and Mr Benjamin's coach. TKc. writer accompanied- Mr King, whose horses, in grand condition and ready, to jj»hp through their collars, were at once in their stride and, throwing the miles behind, reached Toko, a distance of joi miles jin -ji|St 26r minutes, not bad golhgj oVen allowing that the road -was perfect, and wijhr-,-out turning a hair. ,. Herp a sfipjrt . pause was made^ just to allow Carbine and his " mate' t6 get their^ second . Windj .ahd tncjd.entaHy to <i&i jspect the e , '; • impropemantis;^ Mr Brodie has jusf effected at'""the Toko^ iJlotel." These have - transformed-" the 3 r house 'from a mere country pub j toone •-o^ sufficient pretensions.' to „hdldi its own in «,_town — even one^of i^ugh'j importance as, -us i^ay, Stpatfojry ,„ but Mr Bro'die's ""pony "shandies' ''s. were very very small. Toko for tT haye , added -$b .its' -present importance that qf l^eing jjie terjninus of .tlie v railway .wTiich "i§> evehtiibLlly to cohne'et Stratford Wi^, main trunk railway at Ka^vra?-' ffawft.' The .line, which will be ready jtqr traffic in a very (ew- w«eks,' crosses ,tho ; main road only, a chain 0r.,. ;2 from the centre of the town .and thf station will be built jiist off the rqad near the school and TJr King's" sale-, yards. The settlers, it is whispered. • are already making advanced preparations for, the banquet which the Hon. Mr Hall- Jones has promised to attend about Christmas time travelling by rail from the metro polis (Stratford), though Mr Tay- 1 lor (Jock of that ilk) is not on they spot to carry out his part of the bargain made when the first sod wa? turned. Still, " Jock " is a man 6f6 f his word and will doubtless be there when the times comes. Toko although the approach of the railwayhas T :Ca^isea* * a mild bqq|m .' property had' given -rise to hopes "of" future greatness, does not depend on this- factor for,. its prosperity;.^ Here several impppta&t k. «>eas..co'Syerge, and the land in the neighbourhooc l ; is some of the best in the province. -*The Borough of New Plymouth endowment is situated on the Stratford side; and • when the present leases expire^abput .a generation Hilnce unforfunately — it will form a very important source of revenue to rthur Boroiigtf Council. The " Tbko tc ,-bha right and -tho-Wamlri wifii-* Gordon' H'oaxls' to the left tap soint excellent •trtjiin.ti'yi "■ ft'om -which . already ilows a large, stream of milK. to the - Crown Dairy' ''Company's f<sc yt ;tory.' M At thi£ ; factory great v " l improj^' "ments'have Just been made, inctuding a Line refrigerator!' set iu> by Messrs Niven & Co., of Napier, and the factory is now one of the mpst up-tp-d^tp ip the colony, wox%thy of the exceptionally high teaU which Tbko milk '< gives 1 . ' : - •">ti^v

But the horses are impatient to get qn^and it.^is a JfarsCft' £§ gamomona, which must be reached before dark. From .here >the road it metalled with sli'eil- fdikl taking- i. •splendid track for light traftic. Tc the right is Mr Harry Bayly's freeproperty, and further on the left Mi JL^red Bayly's. There are two inortr broJher^7-ARr,T atiU /^haVlfeVow jts.v 'IJokb lloadT and "tietweeiS wieiif the^ ;hpld the pick of the country which -formerly belonged to their father, the late Mr Thomas Bayly. Harry's is a}, particularly . ..gopd. jpteceL Q A country, well suijted cubing* At*: into dairy farms." jfbout four miles frjgm Toko is the once notorious Cbutt's' swamp, where many a goooj bullock and worn-out pack-horse have found a last resting place, unable tor ©xtricate ;theihsely6s :ftonxthe bo.tJtWmle^^ajifcOft nfii<;,^cli once was the East Road. A" deviation ar^d a coating of shell-rock' make it 1 ' pleasant travelling wherewas the terror, of packers ancl bAlllock puhchers. Just beyond it the' "t)ouglas lioad . branching: off, Xfi# the left, where t.theJ (Crown I>ftiß^* Ooinpapy <^ajj a^creamery. Here the holdings are snialll, but immediately afterwards we enter into sheej. couptry, the Huiakama block big estates, hjeld *by. Messrs (Sodsal, . others, and capable, of ' carrying Tv a lot of stock. A'f a little over thir-> teen miles from Stratford we come to the end. of tl^e njetal- and the " going " tSecbmes a litHile heavy, especially when we-come to the first of the three saddles between us and pur, tfe'st inatitjn. Still" the /horsey arji willing land : 'good , time'tontiitue^ to be made,. Tne country between the Saddle and Strathmore, our half way house, is from fair to medium, the brush tawhai apparently, indicating rather poor soil, while ancient Maori clearings are covered with manuka scrub. These clearings were no doubt attractive to surveyor; and land speculators .before the v surrounding ■ bush " was fqlled, burfc-; the land was worked out. Still it wilj carry a fair number of sheep, pn Mr Steuart's property to the'left ' a beautiful piece of bush has been reserved and it appears to stand well, not only affording shelter, but supplying a decidedly picturesque turn to the drive along the road. It is a thousand pities that raatiV more* I such reservations have not b&n mattS The road follows the valley of the Mangatuki, a tributary of the Pa,tea* ipto Strathmoro, about 2X mile's fi'pni Stj'a.tfoi;U, ..>• 1 Sii'oth'morp'' is a township of what "A' Tramp r Esq " would call two pub power, only the pubs are not licensed. ' There is also a store, run by Messrs Sells and Bicr^ftcki, ailty-i cry stable, ( Benjamin's)* ' k Town 1 Hall, a . blacksmith's shop, " a billiard saloon,' and Messrs Rteuart and £prPff a ??'£ ea'leyards. Thanks to the tetepfifom^fi y«.?itfcylaiiy useful.'institution in tnjs pouiitpy— a firstrate dinner was fn i-'eadinoss at Calvert.'s boarding-jiouse. A stay of two hours 1 was made at Strathmore, during which the teams were baited. The township serves a very large extehjt, o« 'fivluntry. including the Palwibrston HIc%K, fiettled tj'qw 1 priinie -91k br seven years. Tp!e fjii}ure s of the townsn'ip depe'hds upon, tfle Jo'cation of the railway*; which is not finally aocJHpd ]}pQn. 'Should it pass suflicmHv Ptejw s^%sf ij^y that a |jons>derab.Je jtpwn may gpbw up in bourse of tjme, J)j|(, j| ig mprc l'jkely to touch the road a Peuple of miles further on.

At three o'clock a fresh start is made and the first point of interest a mile qut.—- }s the Mangaere Small Farm .Settlement, spread along the niadn road in holdings from 20 to 40 acres. Hero is a little Bchool, under the Jurisdiction of the- Taraneki education JBoard, and a: little further on tjie- Crown Dairy Company's Mangaere Factory. Hereabouts too js the ,-village settlement of Huiakama, And' the Akamaand Kirai Roads branch off to the left and right. The Mohaiteii Road io the left opens up some good land a little further on, but generally, epeaftjng the Jand jg o f indifferent qualijtf, with 'pJogt'y. of" manuka scrub, useful ejdowh 'for louming fascine M-ork Qn baa tracHo, out pf

,little value else. Shell rock is a * better and more permanent road- ' making material, and it is abundant jn this neighbourkood, if only the. Government could be induced to lay it on. The last named road, the Mphakau, leads into the Oxford Special Settlement of unhappy memory- After passing through the Mangaere and Huiakama villages, where settlers' houses are fairly numerous, we got into the land of large estates again, the Pohpkura Block. Mr Krull's property is the first, and he has built a handsiome residence on a commanding site overlooking the road, on the right hand side. Mr lliddell, of Waitara, has^aC/very large holding of rather poar'c'ourjtry, sandstone formation, and aiiiong other large owners are' Messrs Budge and Nolan. Substantial' improvements in the shape of grassing and' fencing have been -made 'on the places, anti the grass, where not fed. down, too close, looks -well, while the cattle and sheep are strong and healthy. The Pohokura saddle is' reached at about thirty miles and a long fairly steep _ climb brings us to £he junction with the 1 road from ■ Irigiewood, passing l through jand Purangi. The road . is not'formed; right, through yet, but when it is a delighmil drive will" be opened" from Inglewood through Pohokura to Stratford, a distance, .of .about sikty miles. .It iscposaible;. that-, the metalling of the road from this , p6in,t .will divert a great deal ;^raffi"e"riow carried to Stratford; "foV JUse distance from the juribtion to 11 " New - Plymouth <is only some 42 or 43 miles, instead of aboht 60 through Stratford.. r - f off Whe^top of the PohokUra saddle is ?p,bdu\ 1000 feet above sea level, \h\xi on the other side it falls rapidly* 1 «50 feet" into Che r TMakaiuf TaTleyr ajllttle way' dowh is^ the house once which occupied by -the Government Rpad, Inspector, Mr Nathan. Just;a-e " bout here, too, the confiscated boiindttry- line crosses the road, -.which ' enters the Taumata'mahoe 1 ' Block.' The Ross Special Settlement" ' extends some two or three miles a- 1 long the- road, and, Mr, Riddell has another large property. . A lit^e b/37; yond. is Mr J. McCluggage's' com-" •Jfortable homestead, connected _with_ ; the- telephone service, a. , convenience which is of incalculable value" 1 in such a situation. At the boundary 6f the Ross, settlement, itri«»''M4kalir Road; strikes out to thoxightoin ftb3 dfrectJQn of the. 'WangftnUfcoßiYQr, 1 passing t^r,ouglj v .thes PaJtoers&Hv "BJotk, and a m\h. ortWQJurther fqn' J f we ieach" the fdo t ' of the Mangar^ .pr Whijigalnpmona Saddlkthl .top" 5 of which is' : i4oo feet abtfW sea;le"v,eli 'and- 36^ -miles' from St*Stford} It' 1 is,- a stiff climb, though the- 'roads' is.( sa^mirablygiJaflea'and'the bends are I wfell Iqrmed.s Erflm-.thostanmit a; >^py \ fine 1 - view- is- obtained i>f — the- • Immense forests Which covers the Surrounding. -country -for/ miles-.inrall directiorfst v -This sttaaie" divid^ <A the watersheds of the Patea and WanjanuLJJivers., Rapidly descending*, ii?aia we come, to a. spot where the ilrst experiment of burning. papa forroad • metalling purposes Was made.. Fhjp r however, will be referred to on. When the top of the saddle is reached the thought strikes one that itlwould have been possible .vith a' v t'uhnel of no .very great 'ength to have avoided a great part the hill, 't It is a remarkable saddle, for within a very short distance of the summit there is on eitlier a sheer drop of great depthhundreds of feet apparently. As we leared the top two more buggies were descried climbing the hill jnot •'a.r beldw and evidently overhaulingis. They were made out to be '""'the Messrs JJayly — I'Ved, .Harry, "^jiLlf, and Charlie, and" Messrs Frere' and Frank Orbell. Our whip, Mr King, w«as no-t'/inclihed ;bV V&ileiif Hy anybody^ b%€» Mr H. distinct advantage in a very light Cortland^-wagon, .-which.,, qiKttn;Mp-p-ade or;ofa,jthe heivvy rflaiJ,3lvpMld beat our • Heavier buggies. ' Downhill the latter had the best of it, so the foment the summit was reached it ,^las " Carbine, Wahinepai, get up," 'and then- commenced a somewhat 6*3 rpiting/ and,-- to one,' unkcoustjomed to? * travelling, nerve-trying J drive. 1 ■ The descent is v. .very^ long one, and, > th %j^3>a^34}S , .hfeautif^ulxi gratj4l|, i& ■ fact ;itr fs-'a' grand pfece of engineer-^ ing work ;. „ ]the curves, are neeessarIly of extreme ssh.br tlr.aaiMs fniiinans places, b.ut well formed. In some spots a slight mistake by horses 01 driver would be disastrous ; how2yer, our driver made>,none, and landed us safely at/tHe:/foD^ of the saddle where •th'e li ro*a 5d5 d crosses the Mangare River, two miles from tin iVh&fl'ga^nomonat. townshipftOOkDvn s liends behind were distanced, ant - though^ they' riegOtlatetl the 1 descent almost asi-rapiidily as .we ttftl ane" • 'iad the advantage mentioned abov<on the<«nalj tWo^mlieV'of :i flatP M*"leat them by , two or three, hundfet .yards. ;Just at the foot of the' saddle, at the approach to the bridge it 'aj chain two of road metaUee' sc^me fo.un ¥ ;ye4xs /ago k wl^h tiuWH papa, and' 'it appears to -stand" ad re^irably. The final two miles wen -7tegp.ti.at6dT;iri a failing lighlb'Je&id";!i ■ spot «!speciklYy^-tKc road was soft enough t.o g\vp us ar idea of what it might ;be<in winter Ft was just half-past" six as we a lighted at the township— three and c half hours from Stratfor.d, and 's. real toodj go-Aand ;jthaA]^';»gfe.in) W the telephone, by means of which wt had heralded our approach fron Strathmore, we were very soon sit ing down to a substantial, meal ai McClug£agtf:§' boariiinj^-hou l^, %« e fe w ( e femain for. tfle nigh^.r ■ '. '. (To:. be continued.'), z v .\f\^