ROAD TO CULVERDEN.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17038, 11 May 1923, Page 10

ROAD TO CULVERDEN.

MOTOR SERVICE RESUMED. Residents of Culverden, who had not had any papers since Sat-trday, were pleased to see Alockett’s sixteen-pas-senger charabanc, which got through from Christchurch on Wednesday, after *n adventoztoUb trip. The return journey w*» safely accomplished yesterday. Christchurch was: left on Wednesday morning, Culverden beihg reached at two o'clock, and the journey was full of incident. The main road between Ashley and Sefton was impassable and a wide detour had to be made. There were a number of slip's in the Weka Pass which had to b« dodged. Just outside Culverclen the motorists struck a big obstacle in Dry Creek, which was running high. The bridge has been washed a wav leaving a drop of seven feet into the wa.ter. Eventually the passengers and luggage were transferred across the creek in a gig and were met. on the other side by a car from Culverden. The road was passable as far as Rotheram. and it is hoped passengers will be able to got through to Waiau and Hammer to-day. On a number of occasions the pa*esngers had to alight and help to get the mr on some of the difficult portions of the Toad. There was a good deal of water on the road between Amberl< v and Waikari. Observations on the journey indi cate that the railway line is in » bad •tote between Ashley and Sefton, thers being several washouts. Both Amber lay and Culverden were visited bv flood waters. Ono hotel at A-mberley had about eighteen inches of water in it and another was flooded to a depth of nearly three feet. At Culverden there was two feet of water in some houses. One man connected with a motor service had an experience which has caused his friends some amusement. Bftny the ©the: morning he was making an inspection of his firm’s garage. He found that there was a good deal of water in it; the pit was full and the covering boards had floated away. "He gave this a wide berth, but a few minutes later he had apparently forgotten all about the pit. for he walked right into it and received a good ducking in cold and muddy water. It will be seme days before the Knwa i bridge at Leithfield will be ready for traffic.