The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13th, 1926. REDISCOVERING WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13th, 1926. REDISCOVERING WESTLAND.

G'haouau.y the Westland of to-day is being discovered. It would ho more accurate perhaps to say rediscovered, for the early pioneers who traversed a trackless district with wonderful agility seemed to know far more about out-of-the-way places (as they are today) in the sixties and seventies, when tic ocean beach was the main highway north and south, titan the present ger.oration do. These conclusions occur because of the information affordkl at the County meeting this week as to the isolated (otintiy between the Wanganui and Wataroa rivers. In the early days when the beach route was the onlv wav tr> and down the Coast,

the Saltwater region —which is the locality referred to—was a well-known feature of the journey. It was a regular halting place. It is mentioned fro(|Uoiilly in early chronicles of the Coast, for it was a recti; crating stopping place for man and horse passing that way. Pish were there in plenty, and feed in abundance for the travelled tired horses Also ii was a locality of much natural beauty, both in its own native setting and its pleasant outlook. The b g'ion is of considerable area and held plenty of fish and game. It was a very pleasant sight. The hush too was interesting, and a very pleasing prospect could he viewed of the distant snow clad mountains. Sir Julius Von Unnst has left, a very entertaining pen-picture of the region, and of the locality just beyond—the Waitringi Bluff—whence the most wonderful landscape view in the world (according to the world traveller) is to he seen —hush and forest, river and stream, lake and glacier, hacked by the snow-capped Alps, with Aorangi gleaming in the distance. It is a. panorama to arrest the attention of any traveller passing south, for as the journey takes tho traveller round the bluff and over the hill, the wonderful picture unfolds itself. It- is such a picture its makes one marvel at the wonders of the Creator, so glorious in tho sight- stretching away under the white-topped Southern Alps far to the south. In the short stretch of country above the Saltwater, is stored some of the most beautiful parts of wonderful Westland, and it is remarkable that the people, of to-day know so little of it. But the heat?n track is not that way. The main highway passes inland, and travellers as they go south marvel at the beauties of Mt. Hercules and •elsewhere, hut unknown and unknowingly -are, close at hand, sights

and scenes which oclispe Mt. Hercules, Otira and the Wail in nil rolled into one. Hut we hav-e passed from the phase of the subject- we intended to refer to. The country lying between the Wanganui and Wataroa rivers is described as excellent settVinent land. It is hushed with some of the finest timber in New Zealand. It is a fact that in the early days piles for liarhour works at Hokitika were drawn from the Big Wanganui river mouth. It is known there is a fine belt of silver nine and fruitless efforts were made to raft hewn sleepers from the Saltwater region. When th-e bridging of the South Westland rivers was first in mind, the late Chief Surveyor of Westland (Mr G. .T. Roberts) laid off a line of road to the lower Poerua Gorge where tls?ro is an excellent bridge site. This route would have served also to tap the Saltwater region —the country row in mind. Indeed, it was in connection with the mailing of the district that the subject was mentioned at the County meeting tin's week. Road access to such a locality will he of special value. Between the Poerua and Wataroa are some six miles of country embracing the Saltwater territory. There are thousands of acres of land which could be brought into profit. It would he fairly adjacent to a dairy factory and link up with the I.ower \\ ataroa which is too remote to be. readily tapped by the M ataroa factory. Down the Poerua river itself there is also a good belt

of country which will come into greater use as the access is improved. It is another case for roads and roading, and shows how much there is still to develop in Westland if there were the means to open up and settle the hack country. It is not so very long ago that a party from the Westland Laud Board visited the Saltwater country, and the Commissioner and those associated with Mr Morpeth were impressed with what they saw. it seems to he a matter of bringing forward the fullest particulars available in regard to Westland land, for it is from settlement that we must look for our most lasting prosperity. When it is known and realised what fine tracts of country there are awaiting settlement, the possibilities of the place will warrant a more general and generous development scheme. In the fine range of country under notice to-day there is something well worth working up on to extol the value and virtu'.es of further settlement in Westland. and realising that great asset to the place, there is every justice and justification to agitate more and more for steady development and the opening tip of the rich hack country.