THE LAST SPIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1932, Page 3

THE LAST SPIKE

of Stratford railway,

DRIVEN TO-DAY.

i (Per-Press Association— Copyricht.)

STRATFORD November 7

The, Stratford-Main Trunk Kail way. is completed after over 30 years of effort, on the. part of the settler's in the d srict and the. Public Works Department, The ceremony of driving the last spike took place at Haeo today' being performed by . the.. . Prime Minister £ Right. lion, G. .W, If orbsa).,, with whom were associated the , lion. . J.' H C,..Coatj3 •'i^. ; ,the Hop. ..Air ,H. E, Holland, Leader. of. : th.e. Opposition, , wjyj • also J# attendance, as w ere Mr,. W. 3. ..Polspn,. M:P., 'ijhe. membaryfpr the district, 3and> several,;ccher members -of Parliament, who,,.mg.de the journey through, from. Wellington .last night. The. majprity of itne- parliamentarians spent, the night at Tauniarunui. .This morning a special...train, the. first ;to-make the through. journey, left . Taumarunfii. 't.was weljj.-.fiij-di,with citizens and. representatives of local bodies ,- and. other organisations. As -.the. journey, progressed public men ... and • others joined the, train at various , points, particularly at Oliura and .Matierd.. Another, train carrying, the., .Taranaki delegation, left Stratford,, at 8 : a.m.i •with. people ~ from -Stra ford^N pw, Plymouth, Eltliam, .and other + owns, and. the total w'api.-.svyelledr.r.a.t,; the intermediate stations. The two trains, met at Haeo, avltere, the last spike Was driven by the, .Prime Minister. ■

To those who travelled by train the magnitude of the task' that..lay befor;. the,engineers was made apparent,' The.. country for the most part is, wild and rugged covered with thick forest.'; There p.rje r huge hills tlirough • which*, tunnels.'ji.ave been bored, depp cuttings, and ravines spanned by high .bridges.; Although work of railway .consti;iic.--tion "has been f going ion ..for r : .oym’-,-3Q. years from the Stratford ..end, it was not : until 1911 that it was begup.from the eastern, end at Okahukiira. and gradually the line, progressed.-to Oliura, Haeo, where the spike-driving cere.-, monv took place tc-dry, is ...not the /jt at' which the two ends of the line acually met, but it is near where, the last of the big tunnels was pierced, „and is near the boundary of ... the Ohura County, and the nearest spot where it was possible to stage a .halfway gathering. It Okahukiira and 58 miles from Stratford; Itfis also in the section where the most difficult part of the construction work " was carried out. The country in this area is very difficult, and^nfuhh, trouble ’had to be e xpe ndp ciV i n ing the most suitable roufc?tnil miles there are no few,eh Jli and ,in. the five !ipi)es.®vpen.,Tahora and Timgarakau there are four,rriaddition to every kind cf except a via-, dlfct." From a scenic point of view tlm line nausea through really magnificent country, and it is thought that the trip will have much attraction for tourists.

. Afb r tlie spike-driving ceremony both, trains came to Tangarakau, whe.ro luncheon was partaken of, and several addresses delivered. Many of those pres-nt from the eastern en( 4 then left:rn their return to Taumaru-A nui and stations en route, '/white the,| remainder -joined the Stratford train I to take pailt, in the official,epeping of j the motor read to the Plateau oh the,. El rat ford, side of Mount . Tfgmpnt,.' wihch runs to-h height of 4000 feet, . providing one _ of tho - finest motor

drives in the Dominion. This ceremony will lie ‘perfbiftVied bite in the afternoon by Hori; :A U. Masters; •• A banquet is to Ik l 'held at "Stratford this 'evening; *■' ■ .