ROADING THE OMANA BLOCK.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 23

ROADING THE OMANA BLOCK.

Tenders were let soma time ago for completely reading the Omana Block, as shown on the plan. The mam district road—Mititai to Tangiteroria and V, hnngarei—is already made, and passes along the bank of the Wairoa Kiver. The new main road through the block starts from the river and passes right out through to the back of the property, and wall connect up the back with the Tokatoka-Mangapai Head. This will give access from the- Wairoa to Mangapai, which is on the Whangarei Harbour. All cattle and sheep going from the Wairoa to tho new freezing works, on the Whangarei Harbour, will go tins newroad out to Mangapai, where the stock are taken for tbo freezing works. Irohi tho Wairoa to Mangapai. by this new road, the distance will only he 13 or U miles. Another read is being made from tho' centre of the block westward to join the Country Road on the boundary of the Girls' High School Endowment. This will give another road through Oiiinna from the river at Mangarata through to Mangapai. The contracts for these roads aro being pushed on, but the work will not be completed at tho time of the auction sale. It will bo part of the conditions of- sale, however, that these have to bo completed, approved by the County Council, and taken over. It has also been arranged that these roads shall be metalled by special loan aud charged against the . land-that is 'to say, a loan for the purpose of metalling these roads throughout will be obtained from the. Government by the County Council and a special rate will be levied by the county Council to cover the cost of such loan. It was found to be impossible to have these roads metalled before the sale, but to msnire the work beiner done, and to save the new settlers any troublo on account of such work; the owners have taken all tho necessary steps to have the metalling done in duo course by the County Council. This will be very ■ satisfactory, as the settlers, in addition to having-'a railway running through their settlement, will also be blessed with metalled roads. The property is bountifully supplied with road metal, so that the metalling can be expeditiously and economically performed. The stream's running through, the block nt intervals aro full of splendid shingle, which can bo put upon the road at. comparatively small cost, and where nlreacry used this shingle has been found to make excellent road metal, binding well and settling down into a good road. W hen tJie connecting railway line is put in with Whangarei, it will junction iust south of the Omana Blook, and it will bring \\ hangaroi within two hours' time of Omana. If will thus bo seen that Omana is going to hold a most central position, m fact, one of the'mosriiiiportant positions JSorth of Auckland. It will bo at tho Tailway terminus, have the Wairoa on its front, all the Northern trade coming to tne railway, and he in ©as? touch with Whangarei and its freezing works. A new industry will open up here when these facilities of railway and freezing works are ivni'a'-ie, namely that of th« fat mo Unless, for there is no part of the Jmminion where earlier lambs can bo raised than in this "wintorlesa" climate.