IN THE FAR NORTH.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 160, 27 June 1908, Page 6

IN THE FAR NORTH.

A iIL'CII-iIALUjXEI) DISTIUCT. A FIELD 1-UK DEVEJjUWIENT. "Tito general opinion with regard to tJi<' "far uoi'lh' is Dial soou a.-i tie? gum aud timber industries are worked out the country is done, but there way never a bigger mistake." was a remark made yesterday to a Xews reporter by a gentleman who lui* lived for some time in the country awny to the northward of Auckland. A i-ouver.iatioii 011 tlie mailer eusueil, in which lie sought to show thai tile only too general unfavorable opinion of ilnti district is unwarranted. "The 'far north,' as you call if, oilers a wonderful chance for development by young men such as you've got in Taranaki - men who know the dairying business right through, ami who are not afraid of a bit of hard work. Tne opening is especially good as far as young men wilh limited capital are concerned.''

•I u>i at the root of lhe long narrow promontory which juts out from the North Auckland Peninsula into the IV citic is a little place called Waipapakauri. and it gives the opening to a line tract of country, I nfortunateiy it is largely in the hand* of the natives, though considerable tracts of the swamp have been taken up by the white settlers and converted iutu high-class grazing country. Northward of this point the laud is poor, almost barren waste. Kunning southwards to Jvaitaia is a atrip of good country, fairly well settled, and supporting a prosperous dairy factory, the Kaitaia Co-operative Company. <Jood and secondclass land lies between there and the very productive Victoria valley, a few miles to the south-east. Thence the road runs through some line country, past Takahui and Broad wood, right on to the ilokianga river. From Takahui southward the country is principally native land, and much is'held by the (.Jovernnicnt. The only set tled portion abuts on the main road. But IU,OOO acres are now being surveyed and roaded, principally Maori latuls, with a view of subdivision for close very shortly. This block is bounded by the llokianga river to the south and the J'roadwood road eastward. The majority of this land will make line dairying country, and is quite the pick of the northern territory. The river frontage is ils highway, the river being navigable for vessels of JOOO toils register for about thirty miles from the mouth. At Kohokolui our informant stated that lie i had seen three IUOO-ton timber vessels lying at one time. Then four of the upper branches of the river are navigable lor steam launches for another ten to twenty miles, giving cheap carriage of j »tores to the jjOtlKjrs and a handy means j of exporting produce. Along the banks i of the river itself the land .is precipitous, and not too good, but a mile inlaud the quality improved, and presently the best land was met with. Settlement is proceeding fairly last in the locality, and a big dairy lactoiy is now in course of erection. the idea being to collect the farmers' home-separated cream by means ot hitiiiclu's. There are about 200,000 to 300,000 acres lying between Waipapakami and the ilokianga river valley, and most of it is prime grazing land. J'iav( lliug Mmlliward from ilokianga to Dargavilie mixed country is met with • —good, second-class, ami a certain pro- \ portion of wash* gum lands. Returning to Kaitaia, and travelling southward and eastward by the main north road, there is to be seen some line country, particularly at the old mission settlement of Oruru, where there is a successful dairy factory, .hist in-fore reaching Mongonui the-.v is a change in the quality of the laud, and a change for the worse, the country being as poor as a gumfield. 1 This wretched waste borders the. main road, and it is doubtless due to this poor strip extending down the coast that the North lias earned Mich a poor reputation. Improvement is noted near Kaeo, and h.'i'e is a nice area of grazing lands. Thence to Waiuiate North there is little bin gumliehl. Wahnale North is one of the oldest mission settlements in the Dominion, ami it stands in the middle <.f >ouie line fanning territory, embracing HlmeWiU. Kaikohe, and all the coiiei ry down lo Kawakawa. About Ohaewai and Kaikohe the formation is liuo-toue. ami in the opinion, of this gentleman, who seems to have a good general know ledge of the Dominion, this j country stands out amongst the linest grazing land we have. From Kawakawa oili!i\\ ard along the railway route there is good limestone country, but it is in the hands of the natives and practicallv idle. "Speaking generally, and comparing Taianaki and the North. I consider that | theie are lands up there obtainable for Co an acre that are equal easily to the

Cl2 and I'l tan acre land lying between New Plymouth and Ualtotu. Dairying i-. getting a decent, start up there, but there is neeij for young blood, fiv<h Id'ood. 'I he did >etlicrs liavo liad their land-; froiii their parents. ami are able to gel a good living by grazing. Hence they do md give their support to tlie dairy faHori->. as they have no need to milk. The cla>s of dairv slock and stock

it-CNerally been h)»|>roVed ul recent years l».v tin' I'liioijiiiso of settlers who have imported stud stock from other jiarls of Now Zealand ami from Australia, and now in ibis respect the <.11.-.1 rid. compares favorably with tin* ivM. of the Duminion. "Tlir li'DH'iviJ impression of people iu oilier juris of the colony is thai, when the u'um ami timber ;»ive onl, Hie North will be tb>lie, but the people who live there. Mini who about it. consider that when those industries have jjoiie Ho! district will loap

ahead a<i it has never yet done. One reason .if this in that there are good wages to be made in connection witji these industries, and the young men sec 110 great catch in taking- up lands and working for future gain when they can handh- their wages every week or every month regularly, as n mv. Intelligent Northerner;* predict that when, the gumMelds are played out it will-ho good for that pari of New Zeab<nd, (Tfimiields in I lie southern portion of the Auckland Peninsula are becoming exhausted, and many of the linest are being abandoned. There lm» been a great exodus of the Austrian gumdiggers, some to America and others returning home to Austria. Hut wry many of them have taken to grape-growing in the Ilokianga district, the- grapes thriving wonderfully on the slopes lying to the run and growing in mas-es that- would surprise you. The wine-making industry is growing, and the makers have profited by expert advice. i ted you that up there you can get as fine wines as in the finest hotel in New Zealand. Experts say this is one of the finest grape-growing districts in the world.

"As for the climate, it is very pleasant. Tlwrp is no excessive heat <— at least, 1 was never inconvenienced by it. And a cold night is a rarity. (Jras'4 grows practically all the year round, and cows need no rugging. Neither is there any necessity to provide winter feed except for the cows that are kept in through the winter months, The spring and autumn climate is simply perfect. There is a big rainfall in winter, and as most of the roads are unmetalled there is plenty of mud and slush at times, hut metal is fairly plentiful. Roads are in abundance, and as the country is of an easy undulating nature travelling in summer is a treat. 'T say the North has a great future. As the native and Government blocks opened up and new settlers go in there will be a big change. Tt is a land for the man with small capital. The North wants energetic young men from the South, and I consider they will he wise to go and have a look at the lands 1 have mentioned."