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Clova and Beatrix Bays. On a saddle between Beatrix and Forsyth Bays it joins the bridleroad mentioned under the heading " Anakoa-Manaroa." The route has been laid off, and preparations are being made to commence this work in April. The total length of the two roads completing the connection between Manaroa and Okoha approximates closely to twenty miles. For this work £450 has been authorised ; but to complete it an authority for an additional amount of £400 will be required. These roads will open up an extensive tract of country, and benefit a number of settlers who at present have to depend wholly on water-carriage. Tracks, Queen Charlotte's Sound. —No authority for any works under this heading has been received at this office, though an amount appears in the appropriations for the year. Tory Heads-Whatamonga and Picton. —This track—projected to give a means of communication by land to the settlers of Tory Channel and (a short water-passage excepted) to Te Awaiti, Arapawa Island—was commenced in August, and carried on until February, when, the funds being exhausted, the work was stopped. 3 miles 63 chains have been completed, the work commencing in a small bay directly opposite to Te Awaiti, and continued to Te Eva Bay, and being executed by a working foreman and four men of the district. The route of this bridle-track commences from opposite to Te Awaiti to Te Bua Bay, from thence to the ridge east of Oyster Bay, at an elevation above sea-level of between 600 ft. to 700 ft. ; this level is maintained, as far as circumstances will permit, to Whatamonga-Port Underwood Saddle ; and from thence vid Waikawa to Picton. This track will open up a large extent of pastoral land, and will put in close communication with Picton the following bays : Te Awaiti, Te Bua, Oyster, Te Pangu, Sharp's, Arrowsmith, Te Weka, Onapua, Opua, Hitaua, and Maraetai, each settled. For stock purposes it is much required, as also in cases of urgency, as water-communication is necessarily of an uncertain character. £250 has been expended on this work. Twenty-five miles remain uncompleted: for this an amount of £900 will be required to carry on to completion this essential work. Havelock-Tuamarina Boad. —This road, within the limits of the Pelorus Boad Board District, also covers the Kaituna-Tuamarina line. Eoad-formation and metalling, to the extent of £300, have been carried on by the above-mentioned Board, under the supervision of this office. Works of improvement still remain to be done, and more especially on that part of the line between Kaituna and Tuamariha, as this road provides the only means of communication between Blenheim and Havelock and intermediate places on either side of the Wairau Biver when that river is in flood. It is also much used by traffic from the Blenheim-Picton Boad, and generally it may be said that the traffic increases relatively with the improvements made on this road. Brown Biver Bridge, Bai Valley. —An engineering survey has been made, and the site examined for the construction of this bridge. It is proposed to be in one span of 45ft., the approaches to be in embankments ; the remarks made under the heading " Alfred Creek Bridge " will also apply generally to the work. The plans and specifications are to be prepared in this office, but the erection of the bridge will be carried out by the Pelorus Boad Board. A grant-in-aid of £200 to that body has been made by Government for this work. Mahakipawa-Kenepuru Boad. —A short length of this road, 45| chains, commencing near the saddle between Mahakipawa Arm and Moitapu Bay in the Pelorus Sound, has been constructed under contract at a cost of £25 10s. This work it is proposed to extend in the direction of Kenepuru Sound, the works to be commenced in April, and vid the coast-lines of the Sounds (Pelorus and Kenepuru), ultimately connecting with the existing road at Torea, and also the Kenepuru-Manaroa line. The causeway completed at Havelock across an arm of the Pelorus Sound, near where the Kaituna Biver debouches, and the road formed from thence to Mahakipawa Arm, now provide an excellent connection to the line of road under notice with Havelock; whilst Picton is within easy reach, vid the Grove (Okiwi Bay), Queen Charlotte Sound. Torea Neck. —This road, to expend on which an authority for £50 has been received, has not up to the present been commenced, but is intended to be at an early date. It is proposed to ask that a further sum of £30 be granted, this amount to be expended in blasting away rocks at present an impediment on the beach-road adjacent to Torea Neck. Grail Bay Track. —An authority to expend £150 on this work has been received, but at date, beyond a partial inspection in connection with the Hopai-Manaroa track, no work has been done. Double Bay. —The bridle-road in connection with this bay forms a section of the MahakipawaKenepuru line. This latter has in a previous clause been reported on. White's Bay, Port Underwood. —lnstructions have been issued to the foreman in charge of the works in Port Underwood to commence the proposed improvements on this bridle-road; £50 has been authorised to be expended, and it is proposed to ask that that amount be supplemented by a further grant of £150, to be expended in continuing this line of road, and connecting it to the Whatamonga-Port Underwood bridle-road now in course of extension. This work is much desired by the settlers of Port Underwood, as it would enable them to have direct communication with Blenheim; at present they have to go by way of Whatamonga and Picton. Onamalutu Valley. —Eepairs and metalling are being executed by the Wairau Eoad Board on the road in the above valley, under the approval and supervision of this office, and assisted by a Government grant of £100. Nydia Bay-Havelock Boad. —This bridle-road has recently been extended from Maori Bay, in the direction of and along the south shore of Nydia Bay : one mile and a quarter requires forming to complete the circuit of the latter bay as soon as funds are forthcoming. Connection has also been made with the Havelock-Nelson Boad. New formation has been executed to the extent of 2 miles 21 chains, improved formation 1 mile 40 chains, and maintenance five miles. To fully complete this line of road from Havelock to Nydia Bay—length about twenty-eight miles—the right-of-way is required to form a road through the Native reserve at Parapara (the land required for this is about 5 acres), and also through Sections 7 and 8, Grant Bay, situated in the Wakamarina Survey District. For these sections an exchange of roads may possibly be effected; at present trespass-thoroughfares through these lands are used by consent of the owners. 9—C. 1.

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