TE KUITI TO WEST COAST

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 249, 9 April 1910, Page 5

TE KUITI TO WEST COAST

A Trip Through the Country. A correspondent sends us the following interesting notes of his recent journey to the West Coast: — "On business and pleasure bent, a friend and I went for a trip through the back-blocks between Te Kuiti and the West Coast last week. Starting from Te Kuiti we went out the main Auckland-Taranaki road as far as Pio Pio and after dinner rode all round Pio Pio. The soil round this rising little place is of very fair quality and there is no doubt that the butter factory that is now being erected will before very long have a large output. We then proceeded along the Troopers' road towards the Mairoa, passing some 'little farms on the road that did our eyes good to look at. Going along past ..these places we went through a block of Native land of real good quality, but like lots more, it is still in its natural state. Getting on to the Mairoa at last we saw some of the finest sheep and cattle country one could wish to see. The settlers around here are more fortunate than those further back, in that they have a school which is also used for a church on Sunday. We next turned off at the Pungarheu junction and made out towards the coast. The settlers hereabouts are rather unfortunately situated from a stranger's point of view, inasmuch that the road runs through some indifferent country, making some of their frontages look a bit poor though the backs of the sections are good. Going for about four miles along the Pungarehu road we pulled up for the night at Messrs Travers and Quinlivain's place where we were accorded a real hearty welcome. These gentlemen have some of the best sheep it has been my lot to see in the King County, proving how this warm, dry district is suited to sheep. After a hearty breakfast next morning and a warm invitation to stay next time we were going through, we proceeded down to the end of the Pungarehu road, passing some beautiful land on the way. What struck me as being badly needed about here was a school, as there appeared to be some large families of children of school age. Next we went through the bush track over to the Pumerangi road, passing through some splendid limestone country en route and leaving the Ngapaenga on our right. There is some beautiful country up the Ngapaenga. The land on the Pumarangi road is papa formation, and is very broken, but takes grass well and is good sheep country being easier to get a burn on than the limestone land. We pulled in at Mr Neilson's and had some dinner and let our horses have a rest for an hour. Getting to the end of the Pumarangi road we came to some old friends in the persons of Mr and Mrs Hally and family who have a very nice home here (Marakopa). Pushing on for the Marakopa Heads we went down the Kiritehere road through some splendid river flats. A number of settlers here seem to have made the mistake of falling the flats too early in the year, and the undergrowth has come uo again precluding any chance of getting a burn. We reached Marakopa Heads a little after dark and put up at an excellent boarding house there for the night. Next morning we started early across the Marakopa river and down the coast past Karikari. There is a good flaxmill plant idle here, no doubt on account of the low price in fibre as there is plenty of leaf right round the mill, and the hills are covered with it. Leaving Karikari we made Taharoa. That night my friend here tried to buy some horses from the Natives but did not succeed. There are 16,000 acres, more or less, in the Taharoa block, and hundreds of acres in beautiful grass. We then proceeded to the Kawhia Heads thence up the beaclv in a howling gale to Kinohaku. The road up the beach is dangerous to anyone not knowing the right crossings. We were fortunate in having Mr W. Retymeyer- with us. We stayed the night at Scott's boarding house at Kinohaku. Next morning my friend made through via Te Rau-a-M«a to Te Awamutu, and I turned south again up through the Kinohaku Valley. The settlers here are better placed than lots of others as they have a waggon road and a lot of it metalled, and last, but not least, have the 'phone from house to house. Coming towards Te Anga I passed a sawmill. The wind of the day before had destroyed the waterrace to the overshot wheel. Again striking the Marakopa river the road follows it up and we come suddenly on the falls, which are well worth going a long way to see. A little further on I found the road blocked with heavy timber that the gale hai blown down and had a lot of trouble getting round it through the bush. On this river there are a lot of beautiful river flats in splendid yiph pasture. Goming up 1% road you corne a'mile Q i! two Qf ve * ; y poor land until you come up near the Mairoa road again when one comes through some graging country it would be hard to beat anywhere. 1 then came out to the junction of the Hauturu road down to Waitomo eaves past Mr J. Davis' place, through Opavure and home. The trip throughout was thoroughly enjoyable and the quality of the land seen such as would surprise many who only know of the King Country through reading of It.