UNIQUE VISTAS

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 254, 3 November 1939, Page 4

UNIQUE VISTAS

EAST COAST ROUTE

70 /.MILES ALONG- SHORE

FINE CAMPING GROUNDS

GREAT ADVANCES MADE

“Though there are now about six bridges of which the approaches are still unfinished!, these will be completed by Christmas, and 1 am confidentthat those who have not travelled the E'ast Coast highway from Gisborne to Opotiki during the past 12 months will find that that period has seen tiro elimination of ail real difficulties along the route.

I 'Ten bridges and one large culvert j are among the improvements made [ during the year,” stated Mr. G. V. Merton, resident A.A. patrol, in an address to the Gisborne Rotary Club recently, states the Gisborne Herald. The speaker said! that in his experience the route was unrivalled for the particular type of scenery it provided, the major feature being that for between '6O and 70 .miles of highway) beyond Waihau Bay towards Opotiki, travellers remained consistently within sight of the sea, and for great distances were within a stone’s throw of the surf. Magnificent vistas of capes and hays were revealed to the tourist’s eye throughout the * whole of this

journey, arid one of its attractions ,>vas that the East Coast, road presented a strong contrast-, in its type of scenery, to that found inland in, say, the therm a l region. Contrast in Scenic Values “People doming from. Auckland and completing the traverse of the East Coast road after passing through Rotorua. will find this contrast particularly striging, and this should help materially to build up the tourist traffic on the Opotikt-G i s borne coast route,’ ’said Mr. Merton. “As from this Christmas season, the route will 1)0 an all-weather proposition for ears, ail the bugbears of the past having been dealt with effectively.” For the benefit of those Rotarians and guests among the audience who had not recently visited the East Coast in, its more northerly reaches, Mr. Merton stated that the past year had seen improvements in the road going ahead by leaps and bounds.

Between Gisborne and To Araroa the road was pleasant, well-surfaced aud well bridged, providing easy travel with plenty to divert the eye. At Hicks Bay excellent camping grounds ■were available, with fresh water, swimming and/ fishing as the chief attractions, apart from the' scenic surroundings. n ; On towards Waihau Bay the road passed inland, and lost a, little of its interest, but from Waihau Bay onward it was almost always in touch with tlie shore-line,V and the coast

provided sohie wonderful vistas. Holiday Facilities at the Bays At Waihau Bay private hotel' accommodation with swimming, fishing and) other holiday .facilities available fori-g’ucsts, and adequate scope for motor camping on the part of tlio-fri wliqi travelled for open-air life, were awaiting the tourists. Plenty of firewood, ideal camping spots, under the pohutulcawas, and an enormous* variety of fish in the bay promised to make Waihau Pay one of thc"»mbst popular holiday resorts to lie found anywhere, Mr. Merton considered.

A little further on was the Raukokore River, formerly one of the main bugbears of travel oif the route, but now well and strongly) bridged. Whanarua Bay, .eight miles ‘from Waihau Bay, was another perfect camping spot, any it could! be said that every inlet along the coast offered wonderful facilities.

At To Kalia, one 7>.f the oldest settlements on the eoajjt,..with a history as a whaling sty-tion, boats and fishing gear were additional attractions offered byUT good hotel, and, like Waihau Bay, this area contained hospitable and friendly peopkm. anxiqus to do all they could to iiiuK.e visitors feef at home. ... . ....

-4.0 i- , «V Imprevariignts on Marfeenui Hi!! From Kalia to Opotiki. was, perhaps, t-he\ best stage of the journey from the Sepnic, point of view, and now '‘proceeding important •a^rim provemeii? work on the Ivlqi'aeuui Hill, which would l eliminate a. short but bad section of winding

wet road. One could travel the whole route, Mr. Merton considered, at from .'3O to 40 miles per hour, and to make the circuit from Gisborne was an easy week-end run for the average motorist. It was a better road than the Waioeka, by. a. good margin, and he had no doubt that those who were not -pressed for time,... and did not mind the longer"journey, often would prefer to take the coast route to Opotiki from Gisborne. AI ready rieop-le on«the Coast, for whom 'the difference in mileage was.less, wore making use of the highway through Waihau Bay and To Kaha.

He had received , ;1 , Km ny from outside as ;toi rohd’and the t promises&iM tililig tourist season, arid lie felt sure that the be well patronised by tourists, as it- tieserved to be, during the coining summer. So far as his. experience there was no route, th>t-htouss). it for sea and' coastal bineil with, perfect an«' surroundings for motor campiifg.