RESOURCES OF THE WEST COAST.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 June 1923, Page 4

RESOURCES OF THE WEST COAST.

A LAND Oh PROM IFF. i Lyttchon T in" i ]: i*. as a gill! cen nm" . :-"‘I the ear wnuij m , g" beyeud Hart Ib'li that day - it was a spoei.il trt*> "U : "'- 1:1111:1 "I ‘■'.me ‘.J'Ol'ls meeting I derided i . 1 1 a mu bom lie. V* "ih" T " ■ • ;■> Ukaritu. T'he ie.j i!'nm-.h a t-ii'v De|iartm. ni , Im'. ai frequent interVills, tliei'e were tiotie-'- nathd to (be tree- by Lie t'.ad-id:' urging people i,, 1... raid id '.mi 1,, i. iug fiivs. We v-ere urged I:* ‘‘g"' ui" hnt.il” "f bring rinui sns in Liis ve'.n.'rl, and >* add weight to the iipneal. w were iu 1 os'til(..l ia:'*'. ‘•l.ui'iie I lituher pay-' no wage-. The Inish lo'ik-il damn liuti one w.,.,,1 if ii <*..*i.l 1." biiru-d. but .••("•a- of 1 ! ’ :* ere' I si.."', mid um.t,a little further along v.ere '• uv 'ueoig proof. Alter walking ab'.ut lit*' "L‘"' 1 , am !o a glia P'-e l! “‘ b'm"' l ' !l!'gi i: o I a -t i "if !i "I “ater s"me.'ii.'S I o i i::. I : U tided I.u ) ■ a ■ ■' 1 " side I, v low l-itid a in I on ib" ot tier by a iniahi v forest. I't ' iu L.i" Li the land at.jieared to t isc* in I'd-tle I'rdvert'il with magnith eu: im.-h. it I .1,1 | ... j i„* F**i ■ - I r.v I )ei»nn men! i lithe liu.'sl at'..! of milling; timber in the Dominion. When aj'.pre;ii lung ( )k'..i'it". a -mall lawn hip hv tbe i nlram-e to the b a";"', several pukaki run nem.-s the road, and th- -1 ■ r 1 1 1 re minded me that. I mu in of Hi- gresic.-t i.ird ii'ui inane- in I I *,■■ D-minioti. Toward- l evening I mid tlm -ooi 1 fortune to see one n| the v bite herons ami wa- i t * l"ai u Hint several haul been seen lately, bike inni’.v another town-hip. Dkarito wa* a luisilin.: goldmining eenire. There were about Forty bet I- beic. hoiks, a Cu-tnms House, and several dam e halls. Ship- d Ui.cine direct from Afelhourne. and Okarim "a- a

“wild and woolly” place. To-day it is a little village and only the old Warden’s Court remains to remind people of those stirring times. ’To the north, between the lagoon and the sen, a considerable area of land is being farmed, and the owner ships his lambs direct to northern ports. Cattle are driven up the Waitnugi valley to the main road. To the south the country is very rough and covered with dense bush. 1 went down the coast to the Throe Milo Beach, once the seene of a rush, dust round the next point, Five Mile, there was a great rush. Xo one lives there now, and not a stick remains of a mining township that mice contained over'2ooo people. As in other places, one meets men who have not lost faith in the district as a goldfield, but. whatever may be the dcvlopmcnts in that industry, the surest source ol wealth in this part iip the working of the vast tracts of timber. Before that can lie done ecoiiui'.iuidlv steps must be taken to improve the entrance to the lagoon. Some weeks ago it closed up. and as the locked-up water rose, gradually submerged the road leading to the settlement. An opening was cut, but even now the entrance i i - not sati.gnctoiv. and probably a training "all will have {*> l-o run 'inf. to c-IK-cl ;i ijcrniuiicjii . A little ketch tnvio> down 1 lie I -a.-!, when the ’.vMihcr re - mits. hull tile tlifiiculiy of w( rking the bar here has kept her away. The matter of direct shipping i< an important otic for the settlers, for the l iviglit on lend borne cargo naturally is muen hi her. When milling operations start 'd -ng the lagron. Okarito will again be eemc an iuiporinut centre on tnc (oast, j. : ~ {i -]i-.t, spot now. far from the madding trowd. hut the lover ot tile ! wpitifu! will find much to give delight. Op,, .an enjoy a mnguiiieenl view of I 1 ::* nuitmtaius. and to row on the la.clll in i ’ 1 e evening and sec the snowy porks sell,a ; i d in Cue still Wider i- to j. ani something of the majestic grandeur of Nature.