THE PUTARURU PRESS. Office – – – Main Street ’Phone 28 -- P.O. Box 44 (Lewis, Portas and Dallimore's Buildings.) Published every Thursday. THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1924. MOTOR ROUTE TO TAUPO.

Putaruru Press, Volume II, Issue 13, 10 January 1924, Page 2

THE PUTARURU PRESS. Office - - - Main Street ’Phone 28 -- P.O. Box 44 (Lewis, Portas and Dallimore's Buildings.) Published every Thursday. THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1924. MOTOR ROUTE TO TAUPO.

WORK has been resumed wii the I Mangaiti deviation, which should >o\v : be open toi traffic towards the end of ; this month. This improved route is , not a nu tter of importance merely ; from file point of view of tourist | traffic jv of giving good load access j for Atiamuri settlers to Putaruru, for the completion of the deviation will also mark the establishment of a reasonably good motor highway botn winter and summer from Putaruru to Taupo. This opens up important possibilities for a new and quicker passenger and mail route from Auckland to Taupo. At present the accepted route is from Auckland to Rotorua on the express the first day and thence to Wairakei and Taupo by car the next day. However, the deviation will constitute a good invitation for the establishment of a motor service to connect with the express at Putaruru at, say 4 p.m., and run through to Taupo that night, arriving about 7 p.m. Both the mails and the passengers could be carried and landed in Taupo some 20 hours earlier than at present via Rotorua, a very considerable saving. The motor trip would be slightly longer than from Rotorua, we understand, but the travelling would probably be better and quicker, for, judging by recent published remarks about it, the Rotorua-Taupo road is very rough. On the other hand, a really excellent road for the first 25 miles, from Putaruru to the end of the deviation, could now be relied on, for of this the first six miles, which is the only part that cuts up in winter, is to be metalled under the Putaruru-Tokoroa loan and Government subsidy, while beyond to the 25-mile peg a wellgraded pumice road gives good travelling at any time with the exception perhaps of one or two short cuttings, where the roadway could be metalled at little cost. Beyond the 25 miles the road is mostly either further pumice formation or sandy ruck and as a rule gives quite good travel lingwet or dry. The establishment of such a service should thus be profitable and would not only further enhance the importance of Putaruru but would also put 'Lichfield, Tokoroa and Atiamuri on a daily main motor mail route. It is understood that preliminary private discussion on the matter has already taken place between Taupo district interests and Putaruru interests and we trust that a satisfactory arrangement will be come to for the inauguration of the service.