TE KUITI-HANGATIKI ROAD.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 460, 27 April 1912, Page 7

TE KUITI-HANGATIKI ROAD.

To the Editor.

Sir,—l had the pleasure last week of riding from Hangatiki to Te Kuiti along the western bank of the Mangaokewa stream. That is on the oppostie side of the willow - grown stream, and which the railway runs. My companion and I travelled along a horse track through many gates, across innumerable small shallow swamps, which looked alarming but had hard bottoms to them, and we rode through good dairying, if not agricultural, land the whole way. This land is better even than the general run of land in the district, but it is all overgrown at present with briars, fern and manuka. We passed several native whares. but only one seemed to be occupied. After cantering for five miles along this circuitious track, we came out at the sharp bend in the new road where it leaves the Te Kumi flats to wind the hills to Oparure, and for the first time I saw the Te Kuiti racecourse, and was impressed with what a pretty spot the sporting residents of the distirct had chosen. I was also astonished at the progress they had made in constructing what will be a splendid racecourse in the new future. The Te Kuiti residents are always lamenting the fact that they have not a direct road to Waitomo Caves, and are foolishly trying to get a road from Uparurn across the "grain" of the country to Waitomo, On this route the ranges all run at right angles to the direction of the road, so this will make it a very crooked and expensive road through country that will continually slip, and it will always be a slow road to travel on. They should first get this road continued on from Te Kumi to Hangatiki. It has been surveyed long since, and it would be level and inexpensive to make, and not an expensive road to maintain. It will bring the Te Kuiti townspeople half an hour nearer than the Mangaorino road does at present. Of course, the proper route for a road fromT e Kumi to Waitomo would be to branch off at Mr Whitinui's place, cross the Mangapu river, and the Piha swamp, and you have a direct road to Waitomo. But in the meantime, this road from Te Kumi to Hangatiki, along the west side of the Mangaokewa Valley, would be a great convenience to the latter place, and would be an immense advantage to the racecourse, and to the Limedaie butter factory, which by the way, did not seem to be rushed with milk carts, like factories generally are at 9 a.m. Constructing this road would give them a larger field of good land to operate on. There is one thing urgently wanted at your flourishing town," and that is a road from the north. You have not go it. The Mangaorino road was laid out to open up a block of Crown land. It answered that purpose, but it is a dreadfully weary hill to climb. The road continued on to Hangatiki from Te Kumi would be 'just as level and direct as the portion between the racecourse and Te Kuiti. This road has been surveyed right through to Otorohanga, and when made will be one of the best and most convenient roads in the district, simply because it goes through good land, is direct and level the whole way.—l am, etc., KAIRURI. Hangatiki, April 22nd, 1912.