THE HAKATERAMEA VALLEY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 930, 21 March 1882, Page 3

THE HAKATERAMEA VALLEY.

The following description of the above Valley has been published in the Wainmto Times :—Leaving the Waitaki valley we soon arrive in view of the famous valley of the Hakateramea. Much has been said about it, not half lias been told, for a finer stretch of country it is impossible to imagine. Spread out like a map before the traveller as he descends from the saddle grand country stretches away on either hand ; and far away to the front the plain intersected by numberless creeks, all of clear pellucid water, tributary to the splendid river winch winds through its whoie extent like a broad band of silver ; while flat-topped ten*ices and rolling downs stretch away to the hills on either hand, containing altogether hundreds of thousands of acres of grand -agricultural property. Of course not the whole of this splendid country can be seen at the first view ; on the contrary valley after valley, trending to right and left, open into view as the traveller passes on ; and not till he reaches the Pass at the upper end, a distance of 35 miles, has ho a complete idea of the capabilities of this part of tli© country. The width rf the valley averages, I should say, something like two miles, so that the Hakateramea contains about 350 square miles of country, fully two thirds of which is first-class agricultural land. Of course there are patches—sometimes large ones—of stony and comparatively valueless country ; but, deducting all this, there is ample room for 500 good farms. There are already a few such, among them those of Mr Norman Lane, and the Messrs Meek (of Oaniaru), Judge Ward, Mr Hillary, and others ; but the greater part of this fine Country is held in blocks of 30,000 to 40,000 or more acres by a few individuals or companies, n only one case, that of the Hakaterame Station at the head of the Valley, anything like agriculture being carried on. I have already said that the Hakateramea is splendidly watered, the river itself being remarkable for its clearness and purity, and the same characteristics appertaining to all the tributary streams. These, coming down from the

ranges on either side have plenty of fall> and would furnish abundance of waterpower for the mills and factories which in the future the valley’ should and will contain, while finer streams for fish it would he impossible to imagine A few trout fry have been liberated in the river, and that some of them have is proved by the fact that a large 101 b fish was caught a year or so ago. but as yet they do not appear to be numerous, this being almost if not quite an isolated instance. Of the fertility of the Hakateramea soil, abundant proof was given last year and the year before by the grand crops secured by Messrs Meek and others, and even this year there are some very good yields, although in other instances the crops are light, owing to the long drought of the early summer.