SPECIAL ARTICLE.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1921, Page 1

SPECIAL ARTICLE.

WESTWARD 110!

TO THE LAND OK PROMISE

(By D. .). Evans)

Canterbunnns who are looking fur-, ward to tho completion of the .Midland! Railway next year, and the annexationj of Westland for trading and commcr-t.-inl purposes, will la* disposed to take | a little more interest in the western prut into, which in the early days was. part of the province oi Canterbury. Westlan'd County, which traverses some two hundred miles ol the West Coast, stretches as far oil that seaboard as is the distance of the l'last Coast from t-he j 11 it vn it u i to the \\ aitiiki, is the largest county in the Dominion, and aggie3ales Jl2O square miles--equal to a len-th of 2(H) miles with an average width of tweilly-two miles. It carries at present a population oi 7101. When tin’ two coasts are linked together hv I rail. Westland wili become a very important territory to Canterbury. ,l "'j Westland is a veritable land of promise. Westland is a lone stretch of country | abounding in a variety ol scenery, eu-j I iehod by a meat assortment of mineral | deposits", clothed with the most wonderful forest ill the Dominion, and abounding in a series of lakes and I ~lvors .potential sources of supply tor hvdro-clect lie l«>wer. Cold was the; magic element to attract Kuropeans to Westland, just as greenstone was the attraction'for the early native race, who peopled Westland before the I'.uropeans entile to New Zealand. It ".is Westland which possssed the valued greenstone lor the Maori, and tbo

Written for the "Lyttelton Times.”)

A nil'll r:i (.the path to discover.' "’as the (.mil re of tlic attractive fiml. The West Const Ims now produced ;inld to tin* value of over l~2.Vltoo.onn. The secret power of ill is Health m ntt ractiug populntii.il to Nov Zonlnn.l is scWom realised, but il must lie admitted that (he goldfields gave mi impetus to tho settlement nml ndvnnceiuent of these remote Antipodean islands winch no other factor could achieve so quickly. Tin* oath **rnshrs ,! to Most land won* like succeeding waves in a flowiii;' tide. As the people wended ilieir way over the hi nil nionntnins and down the valleys, they spread themselves alone the const line, and here and theie nurileious m.ldlicUW Ill'll' v. orked. Il is mainly in those centres where population still resides, and settlement is slowly making its way. Many rivers nt varyiiitr dimensions make thoir s"‘iti rout so to the open sea alomr the eoast. lot risinn; in ihe high eoimtry. tlu i*- journey tti the iuriUt is a short oik*. I'ur yoars those h ridgeless streams worn a harrier t(. settlement. (1 1 a tin ally as they are

1.-oiun I'l illicit! and 'l"' intervening country opened up. ilic Muni-: spaces in between at.' lie,•online; in 1 in!>i!••<l. I lie riverbeds supplied the li* st routes ill-, liiml. ii ! i<l so :i lulls' I lie 1 ' " ><' '’• l|ll ' , rivers settlement '.l'm Scoured itself.] Il is spreading nunc and nune non , IniL] heavy luisli Inml ivpiires imicli nutlnv: lo 1 1 rills; it into ]i:is'or:il prnlit, ami 1 naturally thus ilelii" s i lie prowl!' id . sulistanliiil laiinin: population. The river-ilats are living "rnuglil niere an ' more into use, and from gra/.ing. tlais.viiip is now succeediup, and in tinie t- e West Coast of the south Island will j no less famous and opulent than Hie west coast of the North Island, with its ureal dairying eoimtry. The chief towns ef Westland are all in the noithein part o! tin- county. Hokitika, the capital, is of great historic interest, and inis an intimate eonneciion with fanterliitry. It was n.si governed from Canterl-nry hy ollicials (•cm Clo-isteliincn. and its streets hear ( the names of proininenl pu'die ulti- ; eials ill the time of its foundation, ' |s|;f,-iHi, Uevell, Hall. Rollestou. Hea- _ ley, Tailored, Cass, dollie, may he men- ( tinned as typical ( 'anterluiry names in(lelihly associated with the own nl Hokitika. There are two nthc principal towns Ross and iMtmara - hotli In,ioilgli s within the county area. Ro-.s is named also after a Cantorhury olhcially of the early days. Uunuua "if !»t* nlways nssiiriitinl v.ilh il;»‘ i is*mo ‘ (1 I lie great Rremicr Richard doioi Scd,lon who went to Kumaia on the until real, of the gold "rush" adjacent thereto, and made the town his homo till he attained ministerial tank and, wont to reside in Wellington. Iho late. Mr Seddnii assisted in the naming of j Kiiiiiara, a native name signily "mg |

"sweet potato.” In addition to these cent res. cuveiino : 1 1M ill L thirty miles Hi leuet li of ilie northern purl, of "ostia ml. there are reveral townships, mostly eold-uiiniup, eeiitres. all lull ut interest because of the part they played in the early days in liclpiny to create the fortunes of this eountry. The hulk of Westland lies lo the south of lloss, and ■ f its total populallon there are not more than a thousand people in what is generally lelerred to as South Westland. South Westlam! is considered the land of promise 1 iv those who have visited it- It has treat potentialities. There are natural resources which when developed will oive it a ureal impetus. There are ;.;rcat possibilities for hoih industry and settlement— industry to clear and niarhut the forest, so that settlement may proceed apace. The country ie<|tiircs opening up. I letter means of communication are necessary by holh land ; ,ml sea. the rivers need hi itleine, the iiarhnurs iiiiproviiie and shipping provided. A railway was promised South ivesthiml in 1911, hut a chaiiße of Governiueut altered the i*diey, and now private enterprise lo promote the timber industry is doinp wluu 'he State should have done and should still do. A firm of millers is spending some thousands of pounds to tap the forest lamb : of the South, and pusliine; forward n I steam tramway which will :t<> twenty ! miles or so beyond the Government rat head Folk remark if it pays pnvau enterprise to do this Inrßo work-

which involves costly bridges to span large rivers—surely it would have paid tlie Government to build the railway into their own estate—the Crown lands —whence great supplies of timber will he drawn and which by the etui of next year will be Ending their way to Cantornurv through the Arthur’s Pass Tunnel.

Soutli Westland needs population, and it can sustain them. Dairying is beginning to flourish. In a short distance there are three eliee.se factories —■ butter is not practicable because of the delays and difficulties in getting the product away. These dairying centres arc on the river flats and they are all turning out a first-class article. Watnroa cheese is famous for its rjuality. Its pastures produced on the stony flats arc sweet, and beef and mutton from that quarter, as well as cheese, are sjieciallv noted for their high quality. Most of the Wataroa cheese finds its way to Auckland. Westland land produces grass quickly and t'’c pastures arc always green. There is no lack of rainfall, and the country escapes a drought It is ideal country for pastoral pursuits. . and must conic into its own soon I when communication improves. With the opening of the through railway , stock can lie transported from (loss to j Addington in a day, and that celerity j will make a great difference to the conIditions in which prime Westland leaches the Canterbury market. In the southern part of Westland there are considerable tracts of swamp lands. Where those are being worked thev are showing excellent results. A i comprehensive drainage scheme involves i considerable expenditure, and the avor- ! age settler cannot do a great deal to : help himself. Hut there arc cases where special enterprise is being shown, and the results are remarkable. The drainage of the land and its cultivation are , giving surprising returns —and when it

is considered there is n vast area ol suen territory in Westland it will he realised that there is Rrent scope tor advancement. There is especially Rood example ol' the treatment of swamp lands at Jnter-Waiißanui, where on the iarm of D. M’Leatl, Ltd., a larRC tract of ■ swamp has hocn rescued front its native state and turned into prolific Rrecn j paddocks producing tirst-class crops and 1 earryiiiß numhers of stock, this cx- ’ ample has encouraged the Government to turn some attention to ilie improvement of fallow swamp land for settle- . nient, and surveys are now Roiiiß for--1 ward with a view to turniuß over the ' areas when drained to soldiers lor settlement. The present is the time of the year when people are‘on the move, holidaymakiiiß. I 'or Hie tourist or holidaymaker, Westland is a veritable paradise. When the traveller comes across the Otira Gorge he Ri'ts his first impressions of beautitul Westland. I! no i takes the motor ear at Otira and is ; whirled throiißh the Tercmakau Valley

ami by way of Knmnra ami the goldfields ‘to Hokitika, a lido of about two hours and a half, he will have taken tho first stage of what will he a wonderful motor ride, it' be will continue ; it into South Westland, lbe road ' south is available for motors to Wailio Gorge, a distance of about It'll miles 1 from Hokitika, and lands the pnssenger within sight of the world-famous Waiiui ! lacier— the. lowest glacier in the world. This motor trip is describe.;! I,v world travellers as one ol the host. It enjoys its outstanding reputation boj cause of its wonderful variety in scenery, the wealth of forestry, the glory ill the alpine views, and the homely pictures of settlement and contentment in the various homestead" passed by the vav. No doubt as time goes on and Canterbury ami Wcsilaml become more intimntclv associated, tlie lenot.u ol toe Smith Westland trip wili Iv-ome in. to familiar M Canterbury renders, and in i lint time tlie holiday season will v. it- - ness a constant stream of bailie to tbe Golden West. The traveller >t hen he reaches i , western seaboard will iind a special delight in Westland sunsets. They have glow all their own. for the unique association of the surroundings supply Nature with much variety bn bet artistic colouring. To begin with, lheie is the Tasman Sea fringing the 'Vestland sea hoard, which supplies an unrivalled seascape. To enclose the picture ,f the sunset is the long stretch ol Southern Alps, snou-capped all the .■ear round, with -Mount Cook prominent in the distance. Reaching down be- ! low this everlasting snowline are the j verdure-clad high hills, "ilh a wealth j of forestry in every shade ol green. Thou there is the forest to Ihe sea. ■ i' ,i!> ill,, • i i*r •I l

On such a surface, uitli the aivli;Mg skv above laden with all the lolling and culling clouds, the shooting rays of the sinking sun play their grandest. Tints of all colours brighten up the heavens am! rolled strangely on the white Alii" and green mountain side. The doiuls in their curious shapes. Ileecv and mottled, lend their awl. and give hack a picture to Mother Eardi which arrests the attention of all. No artist could do justice m su.-h a scene, and only seeing is believing.. This <" .he time of tlie year when Nature is most bountiful in these pleasing goodnight pictures, and, for the matter <> that if one is an early riser, the good morning pictures with which the sun heralds his coming are no less womkim| To the citizen who enjoys a distinct change, complete in every re- ; siwet, and meeting a people who are oroverbinl for their good-fellowship, a i v i s j t to Westland should certainly he ■ included in life’s itineraiy. Hokitika. December. 1921.