THE FAR NORTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1917, Page 6

THE FAR NORTH.

FROM KAIKOHE TO DARGAVILLE, A LAND OF PROMISE'. VI. : , Tilu I'arty started from Kaikohc on a Saturday morning intending to make Dargaville that night. Fine weather prevailed, and the party were anticipating an interesting journey. They were not disappointed, for the trip was 'one of the most interesting of the tour, but hardly in the accepted meaning of the word. Befqrc twenty miles had been covered rain began to fall, and rain, ever sc light, makes all the difference to the clay roads of the north. There is 110 attempt in the north at grading, channelling or providing for storm water, which is allowed to course through the road at any point it will, and the latter on the road through the Mangakahia Valley soon gave a good deal of trouble. Chains, of course, were affixed to the cars—without them the party would still have been marooned there—but to get them over some 0; the rivulets and swampy pieces of road mas not easv.

The Mangakahia fiorge is very fine from a scenic point of view, but the party would have enjoyed the scenery more if the road did not have a decided tilt towards the Wairoa river below. The northerner when it comes to roads always does the wrong thing if he does, anything at all. In any other district the road would have been graded inward toward the hill, not downward to the river. The northerner's idea evidently is to kill two birds with the one stoneto make the road also serve as a drainage surface. But the result is disastuius to motorists foolish enough to venture on such atrocities. The°partv stopped every now and again and got to work with shovels. Many of them became quite expert navvies by the end of the trip., THE COUNTRY. J lie first section of the journey, good, open scrub-covered land was passed through, dotted here and there with residences. Most qf. the land was in its native state. In the gorge the hilly sor.ntry looked likely for sheep, most af it easier than Taranaki's back country. On some sections the bush was fown; others were falling, and a little ivas in grass. As you leave the gorge the valley widens out, the country presenting an appearance like Morrinsville :lid fifteen years ago, covered with scrub for the most part. The quality of the and ill the Mangakaliia is highly spokm of and everyone predicts for it a jreat future. CAR MISHAPS. • There were some mishaps tj the cars, notwithstanding the great precautious Lakcn by the pioneer battalion. One >1 dded and dashed down, an embanknent into an eight-wire fence and then i log, where it came to a standstill, with -lie iront axle and gear broken. Not we of the live aboard was hurt. Tiie 'ar had to be towed over to Wlianga•ei and shipped thence to Auckland. Another ear was brought to a standstill n a culvert, its driving gear having jeen jolted useless. It had to be ton" :d about twenty miles over the worst 'oad possible to a jetty on the upper •eaches of the Wairoa river, whence it ivas shipped home. There were other riinor accidents. OLDER SETTLED LAND. Towards Tangiteroria the country ooks to have been settled for a long :ime, though tile farmers do not appear to have shown much enterprise. At Tangiteroria luncheon was partaken of, iiul then the party divided, one section ;oing on to Dargaville Jiy cars, the other jy steamer 011 the Wairoa, which is here lavigabie for steamers of fair size. THE RIVER FLATS. The party were now able to see the *icli alluvial river lints of the Wairoa. ibout which a good deal had been heard. There is 110 doubting the quality of hese flats. The drains show a great leptli of black soil that should grow alnost anything. They also show a good leal of submerged timber that has to be ixtracted before the land can be classed i? fully improved. A few years ago it ;ould be bought at a few pounds an icre. It is now commanding from £'2s ;o" £4O. Local settlers claim it will do is well as the best Taranaki land. The ivriter happened to meet 011 a boat a nan whose brother in Taranaki he knew 'Veil. This mail was dairying on river flat land, and he admitted that his place was running a cow to the two icrea. Thoroughly improved, however, lie expected the capacity to increase. Some of the flats are subject to flood, ivliich destroys the grass and seriously interferes with dairying operations. The floods that occurred a week after the party left no doubt caused a great deal if damage to the dairymen on the Wairoa Hats. Home separation is the order nere. The milk is .picked up by steamer or launch and' taken down to. 'he factory at Dargaville, which, by the >vay, the party were subsequently shown iiver. It is quite up-to-date, and its output is increasing every year. On its stall' are two ladies, who are giving ivery satisfaction.' The rainfall on the Wairoa averages- about- 02 inches a reaiv There is an extensive area of and about here very suitable for dairyng, autl the district will be heard of in ;his respect in the future. •DARGAVILLE. The roads about the Wairoa and Darjavillc are improving. For the first ;ime the party came across a road-male-ng plant, engine, roller, grader, etc. t was quite like Taranaki again, and lie writer subsequently met the cnginier responsible for the improved mcthids, a former Taranaki engineer. He is .vorking 011 the same lines as our councils are in Taranaki, and giving the north an object lesson in road-makiii". All success to him! ° The party saw Dargaville under conditions not quite favorable, the town icing visited by a strong nor'-easter. itill, that did not prevent the towns•cople coming out 111 force and giving lie visitors a hearty welcome. That ight three of the members were turned n to speak at a public gathering, and he party were glad to retire to their illets after what had proved a stren- j ous day. . |

Dargaville's population is 1700, and growing. For many years it was stagnant, due, some say, to a private family owning most of the freehold of the town, tout lately it has gone in for a vator service, street improvements, santation, a town l|all, etc. , The river, 'liioh is muddy colored, is about a mile 'idodn front of the to and it is pro-

a cost of £25,000. Until this is done, the town will not tap the whole of the big area of country of which it is tho natural centre. The land in the town is poor, but outside it improves considerably. There are some go-ahead men in the district, prominent among them bting Messrs. Alfred and lidwin Harding, who have their . residences near- the