KAWHIA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LX, Issue 9347, 19 April 1909, Page 6

KAWHIA.

SAND IN EVIDENCE

(Special lo Daily Times

The great drawback to Kawhia as a shipping place is the saud nuisance. There is saud everywhere. The harbour, well landlocked, would be all that could be desired were it not for the shoals aud saud banks that abound everywhere, rising occasionally above the surface. Steamers of moderate size belougiug to the Northern Shipping Compauy are able to cross the bar aud reach the wharf iv frout of the township.

The towu, comprising a number of wooden buildings, consisting mostly of general stores, boar.fiug houses, aud a church, is built ou forty acres acquired by the Government,tlio Natives owning tiie foreshore aud all the surrounding land for a distauco of two or three miles from the harbour.

Behind the town are hills covered with vegetation, aud beyond these are the saud hummocks that line the oceau beach. Above the hummocks the saud is constantly rising like steam, wafted by the wiutls, and unless something cau be done to stay its progress the towu will bo threatened. Some of the hills facing the harbour, now occupied with fern, wore in cultivation previous to the Maori War of 18(H), and wheat ard flour at that timo used to be exported to Sydney.

Tbe rc-maius of some of the flour mills are still to be seen. It appears that tho outbreak of hostilities compelled the settlers to desert their holdings, aud they never returned.