Through Waipoua Forest

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 252, 14 January 1928, Page 26

Through Waipoua Forest

TOURIST ROAD OPENED Scene of Magnificent Grandeur (SUN’S Special Reporter.) DARGAVILLE, Friday. IN a setting of magnificent grandeur, with giant kauri trees towering above, Mrs. J. G. Coates severed the ribbon and officially opened the new road through the Waipoua Forest to-day. The snip of the scissors which cut the slim red, white and blue band meant that at last a road link between the counties of Hokianga and Hobson was an estab-' lished fact and that another link to the Far North had been made.

Into the dim quiet of a great forest streamed a seemingly endless line of motor-cars to-day. The babble of voices and the rattle of motor-cars stilled the forest voices and echoed through the trees at 8.30 this morning. Over a hundred cars left Dargaville on the 40 odd miles run to the entrance to the forest. They left a cloud of dust behind them as they raced along narrow roads cut like streaming ribbons from the hillsides. Inhabitants of isolated farms joined in the party and by the time the forest was reached the number of cars had grown almost to 200. It was a magnificent run over roads which, considering the absence of good metal, were in remarkably good order. Now that the forest road has been opened a new tourist run as splendid as anything the Dominion has to offer has been opened to the public. The opening; ceremony took place a few miles inside the forest, where splendid kauri trees reared their symmetrical height far above their puny neighbours and the tangled undergrowth of ferns. Before asking his wife to cut the ribbon, the Prime Minister said that, although there were many people who considered that the new road should not have gone through the forest, the road had been made and objectors could kick him as hard as they wished, for he knew that the right thing had been done. Mrs. A. C. Yarborough, wife of the chairman of the Hokianga County Council, and Mrs. V. Trounson, wife of the chairman of the Hobson County Council, held a tape which was cut by Mrs. Coates. The demand for souvenier pieces was enormous. Before the party proceeded to Waimamaku at the other side of the forest where the official luncheon was held, two Maoris gave an exhibition of three-climbing. Armed with spiked boots two small spiked axes and a length of rope they walked up the trunk of a huge kauri as easily as flies crawling up a wail. The road through the forest to Waimamaku is an unforgetable sight. Everywhere the giant kauri tree is to be seen and miles down the valleys on either side of the new road is a blue and green vista of some of New Zealand’s mightiest bush, which now will be saved for posterity. The forest is not all kauri, but contains many splendid specimens of native trees, including rimu, totara and white pine. At Waimamaku the Prime Minister and party were met by a huge gathering of people, including a large number of Maoris. Never before has this distant little village seen such a

number either of motor-cars or people. There were visitors from every surrounding district, overseas tourists, and others from as far afield as Invercargill, Christchurch and Wellington. Led by John Tui, chief of the Ngapuhi tribe, the Maoris gave Mr. Coates a wonderful welcome. It was a real haka, given in the real Maori style. Mr. Tau Henare interpreted the speeches of welcome from the Maoris. He complained that Mr. Coates had not informed them of his coming. The Prime Minister, much to their delight, replied that as their brother he did not think it necessary to tell them. On arrival Mrs. Coates was presented with a bouquet by the oldest resident of Waimamaku, Mrs. Norrell. Mr. Allen Bell, M.P., paid a tribute to the attitude of Mr. Coates and Mr. McLeod in getting the road put through the forest. The Prime Minister had never shown the white feather, and he admired his attitude very much. Mr. Trounson, chairman of the Hobson County Council, said that the road was.built primarily in the interests of the settlement of the district, but it would also be of immense benefit to the Hobson County. He thanked Mr. Coates for getting the road put through against considerable opposition. Forty years ago the road had been first talked of and now it had been opened to the peoples of isolated districts. Mr. Coates said that the opening of the road would provide an opportunity for the citizens of New Zealand to see the forest, which was unique, not only in the Dominion, but also in the world. The Public Works Department, after considerable investigation, had concluded that the present route was the best. The first part of the contract in getting the road through had finished and if the money held out, and he thought it would, the whole contract would be finished.

The Hon. O. J. Hawken, in referring to a unique feature of the Waipoua Forest, said that with expert management it could be made to pay as a forest as well as being a great sightseeing reserve. The Forestry Department was gradually building up the forests of the Dominion, and year by year more money was being added to the funds for .these purposes. At present there were 130,000 acres of land planted in forest, and this was being increased annually. In the future, said Mr. Hawken, the people of New Zealand would be proud that the Waipoua Forest had been preserved for them.