Paica Makate and daughter Maria in centre a vast area of dunes. (W. Martin photograph) met by one of the met by once of the boat owners of Taharoa, other wise one may suffer the misfortune of being stranded without anyone knowing about it. If arrangements have been made, then the traveller will reach Taharoa after half an hour's ride over the Lake on an outboard motor boat. The Maori families are almost divided, geographically, into two settlements. The settlement nearest the Lake consists of nine homes and the only school, and almost five miles away, nearer the coast the other five homes are situated. Each settlement has its own meeting house, but unlike usual Maori villages, the private homes are not centred in close proximity to these meeting houses, but scattered over wide areas. Each home is of modern up to date standard, built by the owners, fully furnished, and some with refrigerators and washing machines worked by kerosene fed motors. Every home has a telephone and almost every home has a radio powered by portable hatteries. This is in spite of the fact that the area, due to roading difficulties has had no State development schemes and in spite of the need to bring all building materials to the area by boat and on sleges drawn by horses. There is no electricity and cooking is done with ranges, there being no restrictions of firewood for titree is abundant. Lighting is provided by the use of Tilley and Coleman benzine lamps and almost every housewife has a kerosene steam iron. These fourteen families are descendants of their common ancestor. Intermarriage is er aged by the older members of the families indeed is common, but out of the for families in Taharoa today, only one marris the result of the Maori custom of betroth birth. Three of the wives, although relates from outside the Taharoa District. Families co-operate at crop planting harvesting times, at sheep shearing times a communal gatherings such as weddings, sports, football and basketball matche funerals, and annually, at the local Cora celebrations of the Maori King, of what people are loyal supporters. The school and the local football and basketball teams visit outside districts for matches, and the and junior players of football never practis they almost always win their matches win result that “Home” matches are quite free and young and old travel by horse from the near to watch. On the whole, the life of the people re around the growing, the harvesting and procuring of food and the maintaining of sheep dry stock. Dairy farming was common some years ago but because of the high cost cartage of cream, people switched over to farming for which the fertile lands are excellently suited. All farmers now have their own sheds and shear by machine, shearing being co-operative effort of the whole community.