TRIP TO MOKAU.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1921, Page 4

TRIP TO MOKAU.

YESTERDAY’S MOTOR EXCURSION. The second of the Gibson motor excursions to the Mokau river took place yesterday. Sixty people availed themselves of this opportunity of seeing Taranaki’s unique scenery, and all agree the excursion was a great success. Leaving the garage at New Plymouth shortly after six a.m. a non-stop run to Tongaporutu ferry landed sixty healthy appetites for breakfast. They were not disappointed, for Mrs. McCoyhad an excellent meal prepared. Mokau was reached about eleven and the launch was awaiting the party. The run up the river and lunch in the bush lasted until 2.30 p.m., and all the cars returned to New Plymouth before 8 p.m., some of them earlier. The excursion gave visitors and i townspeople a chance of seeing not only I some of Taranaki’s finest scenery, but i almost ap epitome of her history of i progress. From New Plymouth, ’with I its up-to-date municipal service, through | the .old established farming lands, to I those still a mixture of stumps, bush, and grass. Further on, over a road which shows what in the way of-diffi-culties surveying and road'-m’aking can face and overcome—country just beginning to be broken in—until ’at the end of the journey some 12 miles up the river from Mokau township, camp was made on a holding amidst the smoke of its first burn-off. This was on one of the “soldier” blocks, and it was good to hear, from quite unofficial sources, that the soldier settlers are in good heart, and they and their families the “cheeriest people in the locality.” Even for productive settlement, however, *it is difficult not to be sorry to see the beautiful forest destroyed, but there are no words to adequately express the indignation felt at the destruction of the bush on country now growing nothing but rubbish, and apparently, likely to do nothing else. Still, marred as it is by many a scar the Mokau scenery , is still wonderfully magnificent and quite beypnd any attempt to describe it after the cursory glance of a day’s excursion. Everything in connection with the excursion—cars, launches, and drivers was all that could Re desired. Mr. Gibson and his clients have every reason to be pleased with a very successful day’s outing.