MARAKOPA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 25, 12 April 1907, Page 3

MARAKOPA.

This district, which was opened for selection two and a-half years ago, is advancing rapidly. When this country was opened for selection in July, 1904, this part of the King Country was practically unknown. Since the advent of the Pakeha, in the place of a few acres of Maori potatoes, and corn, the Marakopa Heads now boasts of two boarding houses, three stores, a flax mill employing forty hands, a blacksmith's shop, and an oil launch and two punts for the up river trade. There are also two coastal steamers, the s.s. Kotahi, of Waihora, and the s.s. Rothesay, of Kawhia, calling regularly a every week. > At Hori Hori, five miles north of Marakopa, is situated Messrs Bell Bros, and Ross' flaxmill which, now that water communication is so frequent and regular, is turning out large quantities of fibre. The proprietors are making great improvements, draining flax-growing swamps and erecting tramways, etc. Another large flaxmill is shortly going in, at Nukuhakari, five miles south of Marakopa. The settlers are all immensely pleased with their selections, and I can well understand that they are so. A traveller has only to ride through the Marakopa and Kiritehere Valleys and he will be at once impressed that it is a marvellous grass growing country. Frosts in winter are practically unknown, the proximity to the coast being responsible for that. I found the majority of the settlers had stocked with cattle, but this year several, whose places are getting "broken in," are out after sheep. Messrs Rose Bros, have a nice lot of Lincoln-Rom-ney ewes, and have just brought from Wanganui five pure-bred Romney rams. Roads ! roads ! roads ! is the cry on every hand, the most urgent being, evidently, the speedy completion of the road from the Kiritehere to the Marakopa Heads, and the road from the Marakopa Heads out to the railway line, say at Te Kuiti. All the settlers seem to be a most enterprising lot, and, with such rich country, the future of this district- is a particularly bright one.