A TRIP BY ROAD FROM WOODVILLE TO NAPIER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4691, 10 April 1894, Page 2

A TRIP BY ROAD FROM WOODVILLE TO NAPIER.

[Contributed] woodviik. Woodvillo has lately suffered a good deal from the general depression which exists, and through many causes settle■ ment in ita neighbourhood haß been retarded. Tho town itself looks very forlorn, and grass is growing on the verandahs of many'of the buildings, in the principal street and signs of decay are visible on all sides. Nevertheless it supports four hotels and one bank, The existence of a toll-gate beyond the Gcrge is very detrimental to the trade of Woodville, many large mobs af sheep and cattlo passing from Palmerston to Woodville and vice mm tako the Range Road over theTararuas, in preference to the gorge route, the extra distance being fully compensated by the avoid" auco of tho hoavy tolls upon Btook, The road to Danevirke (11 miles) is very sparsely settled, owing to the land being held in auoh large blocks, and sheep runs, DANEVIRKE appearsto be in a very flourishing state, the principal trade at present being derived from the dozen or so of saw mills now in full awing in the vicinity ot the, town. There aro four large hotels, all doing a good trade, and with the opening up of tho road to Mukuri and to Wainui on the Eaßt Coast, it is expected that a great impetus will be given to trade, A deal of work in the shape of road making is going on in and about Dane, virke, Tho Hawke'a Bay4Timber Coy, own a large block of some 4,70(1 acres to tho westward of the town. The famoua Cadman-Smith block is to bo put on the market Bhortly, and keen competition is anticipated, One curious feature of tho town is the (apt of the principal landowner in tho township, and the owner of the largest hotel awing as Ranger,Jand he is to be seen scouring the roads and commons in search of stray cattle and horses,

TAHORAITE is tho next clearing where signs of civil* iaotion are to be met, This was once a coach stage, when a comfortable little hotel supplied the wants of the travelling public.. But with tho advent of the " Iron Horse '' trailic, ceased and tho hotel was reduced to ashes by fire. What few European [settlers were settled hero left, and the whole flat is again occupied by the Natives. NORSBWOOD

lis fourteen miles from Danevirke, This is the home of the hardy Norsemen who were placed here by the Government, and none but this class of Bettjers would have been content with their lot. The whole settlement is situate amongst bills, the land being of poor quality, bi|t they appear by persoverance and industry to have carved out a home for themselves, and it is here only that you see the curious spectaolo ot the Scandinavian driving In his wooden cart, with wooden wheels, the product of his own hands. Their pastor, a very jovial, Dane, ft ho, besides attoiiding to the spiritual wants of the settlers, is a dealer in ttook, and runs a poultry farm. The settlement supports two decent hotels and has a school attendance of from 200 to 300 children. Thore is also a Dairy Factory which keeps, open all the year round, Huge blooks of country are owned by squatters all round tho settlement, '' , OBJIONDVIIM is situated four miles from Norwood, and is a very quiet Utile township, sup* porting oue hotel, of which Mr A. Gutter (foroierly of Eketahuna and Mangatalnoka) is the proprietor. The settlers carry a few sheep and also go in for dairying. They are looking forward to the oponiag up of a large block of good land close by, which will inorea.se settlement and im> prove ttaa>, KOPOA

is a small settlement with only a few small Bettlera. The 'mill near the platform station affords employment for most' of them, 'J ho whole of the surrounding country \a mostly owned by the natives, whose land, until the restriction is removed, cannot bo leased or purchased. Beyund Norsewood.we meet with the only toll-gate in Hawke's Bay,_a charge being made upon sheep ar,d cattle tr'a* 1 yelling through. The explanation given is that the, whole of the land surrounding the district being owned by the Wives, no Income is derived from them for the maintenance of; the road, and hence the toll. .-';'■ ■■ . "

TAKAFAO ■•■ is 11 mllos from Norsewood. and' th,ere Mnmences-the celebrated Ruatawiuha ■ins, Vfhijh' stretch^ ay for some 40 ■O3, the plains bjMMcnpied by ■<sro Qrant the

natives principally. \ Therefrom the . traveller passes through miles of good ' country in the hands of a few whwh "' should . carry hundrodVof families. • Takapau Township; has a population ;... of about 300 Europeans and a great many . more natives', The land all round and a great portion of the township is owned by Mr Sydney Johnston, Gresfc quantities of timber and firewood are sent from this town to Napiejjjjf, "'•' WAIPUKUBAU": W; is thirteen miles from Takapau very pioturesque little town of atnuV| 800 or 1000 inhabitants, There a one hotel in the place and the proprietor v also boa the'only refreshment rooms on the line. The whole country in abuut the township is owned by n | Russell, commonly called " Lord Henry.'] The country is magnificent in quality anal well situated for farming .and dairying.! . WAIPAWA . | is fivemtleß from Waipukurau and has!" a pop alation of 1000 with four hotels, The land about the township—aa also is a gieat portion of the town-is owned by Mr who owns-the i largest store in Waipawa. Nelson Bros, attempted to start freezing works here, but Mr Rathbone owned, the only available site, and refund to Bell, i In consequence the town is deprived of the trade attendant upontliejeofion ; of such works aa thes9. > ; BBtlletuentia ' v'^rf seven miles distant, aupporanplHiomll and a few struggling settlers. Then whole land surrounding is owned, org held, by tho Rev. S. Williams, and the* natives, Itis here is erected the Native College comprising, large building, masters residence and fine play grounds, Some fifty native youths and children a are educated here in all tho higher A branches. It is due to the effirtsof f Mr Williams that large blocks of Native j land were set aside, and.leased to. Euro- £ peans from which a large revenue is I derived for tho maintenance of the I Institution. The Pe auto river, was 1 some years back the scene of the doings § of the religious fanatics who christened § the river " The Jordan," and induced'! a number of whites and -natives total plunged into the water and have thHH sins purged. The famous LonglaujH Estate comes in here. It iB divided several paddocks, aud has some 100 ' acres of plantation, It is now owned by Mr A. Moßardy, famed for the quality of his Lincoln Bheep and Shorthorn cattle, HAVJSLOOK distant five miles from Pake-Pake, supports one hotel and has a population of about 1000. The country is ocoapied by { small farms and iB of grand quality, -"■■■' riAJftKUS | '■' liL^fl

is 2i miles from Havelock.' Thifl tawn ial just recovering from the effects of the | dam&ea lately done by 6re and water.] In fact in the Inst atorm sight inoh«s ot rain fell in 48 hours and a repetition of the late floods was feared, The whole country was under water and many settlers lost Btock, Mr Grant, of Pakowai, had 1000 sheep drowned. The population ot Hastings and suburbs is computed at 4,000. There are five hotels and.the public school has an attendance of 600, There are also a Boys' High School and a Girls' High School, besides a Catholic School and four large private schools. The town has also three bank KAPIMI does not appear to increase much in size. There are about twenty hotels and five banks, A great improvement is notioa. able in the splendid sea wall, now the Marine Parade, instead of the unsightly beach of the past. There is now a fine concrete wall, garden aoats, and every description of ornamental trees. Tho contraotor fur the hreakwater lost heavily by the recent storm, his whole plont-and also many large Nooks of concrete-being carried bodily away bj tho force of the storm,