ON THE EAST COAST.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 915, 13 June 1903, Page 3

ON THE EAST COAST.

FROAf GISBORNE TO OPOTIKI

No. 7

(By Our Special Correspondent.) Strangers In Gisborne who have visil-ud the chief places of int.erest in tins district are invariably struck at the little knowledge possessed by the average Gisbonute of the beauties of his own country, by the fact that scarcely one in a hundred of the inhabitants has afforded himself the privilege of visiting the principal resorts of the Mast Coast. Should a visitor ask him for information respecting the famous Waipiro or Mo-lt-re Springs, 1 lie beauties of Make Waikaremoaiia, or the Motu, he is always met with the reply, “ I- cannot tell you anything, for I have not been there.” The. same remark also applies to Aucklanders, in respect to Kolorua. The cause of 1 his ignorance is not owing to lack of opportunities to visit, the localil.jes mentioned, hut rather to the want, of desire on the part o! the residents to know the beauties of i hese places. The young colonial does not possess an aesthctical spiiit, and, as a rule, prefers the racecoarse and the billiard-room to what our friend Mr Whinray terms “the study of the romantic and pictur-e-spue in Nature's mirror at the Mo--1,, " Having visited all the places mentioned, i can confidently recommend the Gisborniles to delay no |< nger in becoming cognisant oi the beauty which is within eoo-ee distance from their own doors. Tim Motu lias recently been brought prominently belore the public; of Gisborne, and there is undoubtedly a great and prosperousluiore it. Its produrtive soil, its great wealth of timber, and its claims us a health resort aro now generally admitted, and despite the many disadvanduges that eottlers uro at present laboring under, the distriet is bound to go ahead by leaps and bounds. The Motu is fifty-hvo mi os from Gisborne, and there is a splendid carriago road the whole way. In fane weather tho journey from Gisborne can easily be covered in a day. dhe road to To Karaka is too well-known to the majority of my readers to need any description. This rising township is twenty miles from Gisborne, und it is destined to bo a groat inland town of tho future. Karaka has certainly many natural advantages. It is situated on a plain, well sheltered by surrounding hills ; tho laud is lirst-elass, and tho country is Weil watered, and eminently adapted lor pastoral, agricultural, and dairying pursuits. It is the distributing centre of Whatatutu, Poututu, Motu, Mangatu, and tho Waiapu inland districts, and will form tho junction of the lines of railways which will some day go to these places. Leaving Te Karaka the road to the i Motu runs up tho Waikohu Valley, following for soino time tho course of tho Waipaoa. Tho Lorno station is the first property that is passed, tho homestead being pleasantly situated on tho loft hand side of the road, a eouplo of miles from Te Karaka. The banks of tho Waipaoa at this point aro fringed with graceful weeping willows, and the gooorol surroundings present a fresh and bright appearance. On the right hand side of the road for several miles is tho Waikohu station, one of the best properties in the district, the land being all in good order, and carrying a good percentage of sheep to the acre. Throe miles from le Karaka may bo seoD an old entrenchment of le Kooti’s, known as liaitari. It now formß a Maori settlement, and tho few native wharos and a church mark the site of whut was once the scene of many a fierco engagement. Tho Puhatikotiko station, owned by Mr Walter Hutchinson, takes in the whole of tho country on tho right hand side of tho road for several miles. Like Waikohu it is splendid sheep country, and a great portion of it is eminently adapted for dairying. Six miles from le Karaka the traveller crosses tho first of eight river crossings that ho has to negotiate in a Mstanee of two miles, and before reaching Poututu. This crossing is known as Willow croasing, on account of the wealth of willows that arc to bo seen there. In the bush close at hand are some very fine apple and cherry trees growing wild. They were evidently planted by the missionaries in the early days and still bear magnificent crops of fruit in season. Lxcopt in times of flood tho river crossings aro easily negotiated, but after heavy rains they should always bo approached with caution. Tho road from le Karaka to Poututu is in fairly good order, but it might, with a little expenditure on the part of the County Council, bo much improved. The approaches to tho several river crossings require to be better graded, and a few pounds spent on each vvould bo much appreciated by persons driving . to tho Motu. Another source of danger is the narrowness of many of the culverts |

crossing the roads. A 10ft culvert is, as a rule, put in on oither side, and a deep drain is left, Tho result is that if a person driving at night gets the least bit off the road he finds himself landed in a ditch. This nuisance is 110 L only peculiar to the Molu, but to most, of the County roads ; but 1 suppose that until some serious accident happens to ..some prominent member of the Council, no improvement can be looked for. I h'ad a thrilling experience last year on the Wairoa road, ■when driving .with the Government Valuer. We had reached the foot of Gentle Annie when night came on, jint my companion expressed himself quite confidently that he knew Uic road. We were travelling on the fiat at an easy pace, when the horses suddenly, stopped, almost throwing us out of the buggy. On getting out and taking the light, 1 ■discovered that we were a little bit : - road, and that there was a ° n 1 ,*n front of us, the culvert deep ditch • - « nn( r enough to cross not having been n. '-„ rscs jumped the road. [lad the u>. -ifiy have the ditch, we should prolv.. • • found ourselves with a shattered vehicle and a few broken limbs. advice to all travellers on the Oast

Coast, roads is to got as tar as you can before’ dark, and then stop or the’ night- Hut. to revert, to the iVmtu The eighth river crossing brought us within view of the lou tutu accommodation house, kept by Mr and Mrs .J. MeOredie, and here we decided to slay lor the night. Travellers to the Motu can always rely upon a hearty welcome at oulutu, and the best ol accommodation tor man and boast can always bt obtained.