UNIQUE VISTAS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20070, 17 October 1939, Page 11

UNIQUE VISTAS

EAST COAST ROUTE 70 MILES ALONG SHORE FINE CAMPING GROUNDS GREAT ADVANCES MADE “Though there arc now about six bridges of which the aproachcs arc still unfinished, these will be completed by Christmas, and I am confident that those who have not travelled the East Coast highway from Gisborne to Opoliki during the past 12 months will find that that period has seen the elimination of all real difficulties along the route. Ten bridges and one large culvert arc among the improvements made during the year,” stated Mr. G. V. Merton, resident A.A. patrol, in an address to the Gisborne Rotary Club today. Tire speaker said that in his experience the route was unrivalled for the particular type of scenery it provided, the major feature being that for between GO and 70 miles of highway, beyond Waihau Bay towards Opotiki, travellers remained consistently within sight of the sea, and for great distances were within a stone’s throw of the surf. Magnificent vistas of capes and bays were revealed to ’ the tourist’s eye throughout the whole of this journey, and one of its attractions was that the East Coast road presented a strong contrast, in its type of scenery, to that found inland in, say, the thermal region. Contrast in Scenic Values “People coming from Auckland and completing the traverse of the East Coast road after passing through Rotorua will find this contract particularly striking, and this should help materially to build up the tourist traffic on the Opotiki-Gisborne coast route,” said Mr. Merlon. “As from this Christmas season, the route will be an all-weather proposition for cars, all die bugbears of the past having been dealt with effectively.” For the benefit of those Rotarians and guests among the audience who had not recently visited the East Coast in its more northerly reaches, Mr. Merton stated that the past year had seen improvements in the road going ahead by leaps and bounds. Between Gisborne and Te Araroa the road was pleasant, well-surfaced and well bridged, providing easy travel with plenty to divert the eye. At Hicks Bay excellent camping grounds were available, with fresh water, swimming and fishing as the chief attractions, apart from the scenic surroundings. On towards Waihau Bay the road passed inland, and lost a little of its interest, but from Waihau Bay onward it was almost always in touch with the shore-line, and the coast provided some wonderful vistas. Holiday Facilities at the Bays

At Waihau Bay private hotel accommodation with swimming, fishing and other holiday facilities available for guests, and adequate scope for motor camping on the part of those who travelled for open-air life, were awaiting the tourists. Plenty of firewood, ideal camping spots under the pohutukawas, and an enormous variety of fish in the bay promised to make Waihau Bay one of the most popular holiday resorts to be found anywhere, Mr. Merton considered. A little further on was the Raukokore River, formerly one of the main bugbears of travel on the route, but now well and strongly bridged. Whanarua Bay, eight miles from Waihau Bay, was another perfect camping spot, and it could be said that every inlet along the coast offered wonderful facilities. At Te Kaha, one of the oldest settlements on the coast, with a history as a whaling station, boats and fishing gear were additional attractions offered by a good hotel, and, like Waihau Baj, this area contained hospitable and friendly people, anxious to do all they could to make visitors feel at home. Improvements on Maracnui Hill From Te Kaha to Opotiki was, perhaps, the best stage of the journey from the scenic point of view, and there was now proceeding important highways improvement work on the Maracnui Hill, which would eliminate a short but bad section of winding, wet road. One could travel the whole route, Mr. Merton considered, at from 30 to 40 miles per hour, and to make the circuit from Gisborne was an easy week-end run for the average motorist. It was a better road than the Waioeka, by a good margin, and he had no doubt that those who were not pressed for time, and did not mind the longer journey, often would prefer to take the coast route to Opotiki from Gisborne. Already people on the Coast, for whom the difference in mileage was less, were making use of the highway through Waihau Bay and Te Kaha. He had received many inquiries from outside as to the nature of the road and the promises for the coming tourist season, said Mr. Merton, and he felt sure that the route would be well patronised by tourists, as it deserved to be, during the coming summer. So far as his experience 'vent, there was no route that could rival it for sea and coastal scenery, combined with perfect locations and surroundings for motor camping. The speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address, on the motion of Rotarian K. B. Garland. The chairman for the day was Rotarian J. Eivers.