WANGANUI TO NAPIER.

Patea Mail, 12 April 1882, Page 3

WANGANUI TO NAPIER.

[From a Roving Correspondent.]

In a recent letter I promised to describe the environs of Wanganui. Well, I spent some time trying to get some sort of map and arrange some excursions; but could get no map ; and eventually had to leave without seeing much. The railway journey to Palmerston is not very striking. Many towns are passed—none in appearance as wellbuilt or flourishing as Patea,—and at last the traveller gets to Terrace End* a flag station about miles from Palmerston. , Here the rail begins to run alongside of the road. There are houses all the and any amount of traffic; and most people think that the line ought to be fenced.. Palmerston is built round a huge grassy square—which is a decided bore : for if you want to go from one shop to another, the odds are that yon have to walk nearly a quarter of a mile across this useless square. From, Palmerston I started walking to the famous Gorge. Along the road, which as far as the Gorge is almost absolutely level, there is a space left at the side for rails, and some people think the line through to ’Woodville and Makatoko will shortly be proceeded with, thus completing the communication between Napier, Wanganui, and Foxtom .

About nine miles from Palmerston we come to Ashurst.—a little village about the size of Waveriey—and beyond that there is a ferry across the Manawatu. The ferryman is engaged in warfare with the coaches, because they refuse to pay any dues, on the ground that her Majesty’s mails are free. He was very full of one Barker of Patea, who is qnite well known in those parts.as a mighty importer of sheep. 30,000 of these interesting animals have come through from Hawke’s Bay this year , according to my informant. He can ferry 500 an hour. After passing the ferry we enter the famous gorge. The road runs close to the river and generally about 100 feet above it. I measured it carefully in several places; it was just 12 feet from rocky wait to precipice,, with no sort of fence or parapet. The scenery is not grand or striking, as the hills on each side of the gorge are only about three or four hundred feet high. The length of the gorge is about four miles. Just before you leave it is a very beautiful bridge, about 70 feet above the river bed. Seen from a balloon it would appear shaped like an S, but with the ends less curved. After this there is no more gorge, and the road runs nearly straight and level into Woodville. This remote hamlet has a fair hotel (no bath room) and a post and telegraph office, school, and so forth. I slept there, and next day started to Tahoraite, about 4 miles from this place. I was overtaken by a light express drawn by two horses, and bargained for a lift on to Makatoko (about 21 miles) for the sum of 7s fid. The coach fare from Palmerston to Makatoko is £1 7s fid ; an excessive 5 charge, considering that most of the road is level. It was higher before the express started to compete in a casual fashion. When I got to Makatoko I found the hotel was nearly half a mile from the station, and the accommodation miserable. Next day I hurried off to the great bridge. This is on the Woodville side of Makatoko, and is being rapidly pushed on. Nothing has been written about it, and from an inspection I feel convinced that the Government are in earnest about pushing the line on. I found a great number of workmen at dinner; and the bridge is on a great scale. About 300,000 super feet of timber (from mills at Makatoko) will be used. The bridge crosses a valley, and is really rather a viaduct than a bridge, for the streamlet at the bottom is a very small affair. Concrete piers are being built, and trestle work will be erected on these. The height of the rails above the stream will be about 90 feet. The next valley is to be crossed by an embankment with a culvert 160 feet long at the bottpm. . These big

works convinced me that the next loan will see the rails through from Makatoko to 'Unnnythorpe; so if any of your renders have sections at Woodville, let them refrain from selling. After this I went on by train in the Napier direction—of which, more anon.