INTENDED CROWN LANDS SALE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4510, 3 September 1875, Page 2

INTENDED CROWN LANDS SALE.

Considerable interest attaches to the approaching sale of. Crown lands advertised to take place on 21st September, from the circumstance that the chief part of the sections to be offered are situated in a district through which the new joad line from Wellington to the West Coast settlements will ere long be formed. The country we allude to is that which is situated between Mungaroa, in the Upper Hutt, and Waikauae on the West Coast. In this locality fifty-eight sections of land, making 11,000 acres in all, are to be put up to auction on the 21st inst,, at the Land Office here. For the last three or four years various projects have been mooted for the construction of a deviation of the present road line to the West Coast, so as to avoid crossing the steep and dangerous Paikakariki hill. The selection of a new road line was found to be somewhat difficult, and the surveyors and otherswho did theworkof exploring underwent no small amount of hardship andexposurebefore their object was accomplished. At length it was found that the best available line for the proposed deviation was one extending from Mungaroa to Waikanae, and during last session of the Provincial Council, a sum of JMIOO, was voted to enable the ■work of its construction to be commenced. Already the line has been surveyed, and a considerable portion of the bush fallen. In the meantime a bridle track will be at once formed so as to render accessible the land now being placed in the market. As some information relative to this land may prove of interest, we quote. the following description from the report of the engineer who surveyed the line. That gentleman states;—“From the main road at Mungaroa to the Hutt river the country consists of flat or terrace land, covered with birch, rimu, and matai timber. From the Hutt river to the Teakatarawa stream there is a flat strip of land running along the base of a high range, covered -with similar varieties of timber. From the stream to Cruickshank’s Creek is terrace or table land, while from Cruickshank’s to the Black Creek there is a steep sideling, running to great length, with some nice flats on the top and terraces at the base. The hills are covered with birch, and the terraces below with rimu and pines. Westward of the Black Creek the country opens into a valley of gradually increasing width, watered by a large stream. The land is of good quality, and timbered with rimu, matai, and totara. In an easterly direction the country is still more open, while in other parts westward, it consists of hills and valleys,* the latter being excellent land, with rich soil and abundance of sawing timber.” These valleys, we find from the same report, would make excellent sites for small farm settlements. The streams are of sufficient power to work saw mills, and when the country is opened up there will be a large demand for the timber it contains. The proposed road line presents no engineeringdiffieulty, the highest gradient being not more than 1 in 20. and, we learn, from Mr. Baird’s report, that it would be easy to construct a railway instead of a road line. A branch railway line through this country, connecting the west coast with the Wellington and Mastertou line, would prove of great value. The sections to be offered for sale vary in size from 150 to 228 acres each, the upset price being 10s. per acre. These sections all possess a frontage to the intended road line. There will doubtless be considerable competition for this land at such a price, because directly the locality is opened up by roads, it will be largely enhanced in value. Mungaroa is twenty miles from Wellington, and the beginning of the new road line is at a point two miles distant from what will be the site of the Upper Hutt railway station. The otherlands included in the sale comprise town sections in Palmerston and Wanganui ; five country sections in the Horokiwi-road district, varying in size from 89 to 148 acres each ; also some rural laud in the Tukapu district. In sales of this kind, 10 per cent, of the purchase money has to be paid on the fall of the hammer, and the remainder within a month. An excellent lithographed map of the sections between Mungaroa and Waikanae can be obtained at the land office here, also all requisite information as to the prices, position, and area, of the different sections.