THE K AT IK ATI AND TE AROHA ROAD.
The survey of this road has just been completed by Cxptahi Turner, and it will be ready for constt action as soon as the nece.ssd.ry plans can bo prepared. The new road will leave the Taunmga and Th.unen line near Clarkes Hotel, at Kereatukahu. running nearly parallel with the river across the No. 2 and part of No. 1 Katikati blocks. About four miles from its junction with the main road the line enters the bush, gradually rising and still following the course of the Rerealukiibia river until the foot of the raa ; n range U reached. Crossing the rivor it wind* up the side of the range at an easy grade for nearly three miles, and reaches the top in a gap of the hills 1600 feet above the sea level. From this point the scenery is magnificent. On the north and east the view extends from the Whangamata hills on the left to the East Cape Ranges on the right, and includes White Island, the Mayor, and tho numerous other islands of the Bay of Plenty. On the south and west fiidu of the ran«re the whole extent of the Thames Valley is visible from its head near upper Waikato to the swamp at the southern end of the Thames estuary, On the extreme left may be seen, the mountains near Taupo, in front Maungtautaii and Pirongia in the Waikato, and on the right, at a distance of about four miles, the slopes of the Aroha mountain on which the recent discoveries of gold are reported to have been made. From the foot of the range stretches out what ia probably the largest extent of flat country in the North Island, including, as it does, the lands of Patetere. Matamata, Tiawa, and Aroha, all of which arc dotted more or less with homesteads and stations. Just to the left of the road stands an immense pinacle of naked rock some three hundred feet high and directly beneath the saddle through which the road passes, a thousand feet below, lies a beautiful little lake almost hiddeu by tho dense bush by which it is surrounded. Altogether the view is one which it would be hard to epual even on the East Coast, and at the time we saw it its not least stirring feature was the smoke of the steamer Rotukie far inland bound up the Waihou to Matamata from Auckland. Leaving the summit a steady descent of three miles brings the road clear of the bush, and half a mile further on the plaiu is reached. After two miles of level plain the line joins one of the surveyed roads of the Aroha block near the Waihou river. Following this road along the plain for about five miles Mr O'Halloran's Hot .Spring Hotel is reached, situated at tho foot of the Aroha mountains and at the point at which the Thames-Hamilton road crosses the Waihou river. The total length of new road from Katikati to the Waihou will be about 19 miles. The importance of this road in opening up communication between the Bay of Plenty and the Thames and Waikato districts cm hardly be over-estimated, and as the necessary money has been voted it is to ba hoped that there will be no unavoidable delay in pushing on the work of construction, which, if begun at once might easily be completed before the end of the summer. Although no bridges will be required on this road tho cost of construction will be large owing to the very broken character of the main range and the £1500 ( voteil will be hardly sufficient. It will be we'll if the Tau rail ga County Council can sec their way to supply the required balance tor the construction of this road which would be of f.ir greater benefit to the Katikati district than the comparatively unnecessary works such as the Tuapiro bridge and roail metalling which are now being done there.
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Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1290, 5 October 1880, Page 2
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669THE KATIKATI AND TE AROHA ROAD. Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1290, 5 October 1880, Page 2
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