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will be continued over a saddle about one mile to the south-east of Mount Stokes to Anakoa Bay : height of the saddle, 1,850 ft., aneroidal measurement. This route has been partially explored—the exploration to be resumed in the spring—and the dray-road is in progress. Engineering survey, a mile and a half. Of the exploration, about five miles graded and 40 chains of dray-road constructed. Anakoa-Manaroa. —This bridle-road forms a continuation of Manaroa-Okoha. The country has been explored and the route decided. The road will be, for the most part, through bush country, and open clearing reached at the head of Anakoa (or Okoha) Bay. This bay is connected by the bridle-road with Lewis and Forsyth Bays, near which last it crosses a saddle and connects with Manaroa-Okoha Road and Manaroa Bay ; this puts it in direct land-communication with all the districts previously enumerated under the heading of Crail Bay. In the estimates for 1898-99 a recommendation has been made to extend the benefits of this bridle-road to Titirangi Bay. Bridle-road constructed, 3 miles 45 chains, for the most part through fallen and standing bush. Torea Neck. —The dray-road connecting Toreamoua Bay, Queen Charlotte Sound, with Portage Bay, Kenepuru, has been, from the saddle to the last-named bay, wholly reconstructed, pipedrained, and metalled. This work, to make it complete, should be continued to Torea Bay ; but, as no funds exist for the purpose, an amount has been put on the estimates to complete it. Length of dray-road re-formed, drained, and metalled, 46-ij chains. Crail Bay-Homewood. —The cutting and grading lines for a bridle-road have been executed under the vote of this heading, preparatory to the formation of the road, and a party formed for its construction. Robin Hood Bay-Ocean Bay. —Only a small matter of clearing off slips has been done on this bridle-road, which was performed by the rural postman working in this district. The permanent work of the road will be resumed on or about the close of May or beginning of June. Beatrix Bay-Kenny's Isle. —From Richmond Bay to Ketu Bay, both of Kenny's Isle, a bridle-road has been formed nearly the whole distance. About one month will see it completed to the post.office in Ketu Bay, after which it is proposed to sbart a branch road from near the saddle between the aforementioned bays in the nearest practicable direction of and connect with where it will be in connection with Manaroa-Okoha and have direct communication by land with bays and settlements in the Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds for a distance of upwards of seventy miles; and on the completion of the seven-mile section, now in progress, from Portage Bay to Te Mehia the land-connection will be complete to Havelock, and the province generally. Bridle-road formed, 2 miles 68 chains. Kenepuru Sound. —The bridle-roads on the north-west and south-east have been continued to the head of the sound. No provision has been made in the past by reservation of a road-line for a connection between the two lines of road. At low and half tide stock is driven along the beach ; between half and high tide trespass has to be made on private property and through stockyards. This will be obviated by proposed exchanges, shortly to be given effect to, when a road-connection will be constructed. The Kenepuru River will be spanned by aSO ft. suspension-bridge, constructed for driven stock and pedestrians, plans for which have been prepared. Work executed, 2 miles 70 chains of road, 1 mile 65 chains of clearing, 1 mile 4 chains of bush felled and two log bridges of 25 ft. span. Te Mahia Bay-Portage Bay. —This section of bridle-road is a link now being formed in a long line extending from Mahakipawa,. via Kenepuru Sound, to Crail Bay, in the Pelorus Sound, and maybe said to be a main trunk line. Work executed : Grading, 5 miles 40 chains; bridle-road formed, 33 chains; bridle-road cleared, 29 chains; and 11-J chains of dray-road formed and metalled. Ohinetaha-Te Mehia. —The remarks made under the above heading—Te Mehia Bay-Portage Bay—apply equally to this line of bridle-road, with the exception that it is completed. This road relieves settlers of driving stock along a very rough beach ; also puts them in closer touch for stock purposes with Havelock and Picton, and wholly independent of water-carriage and tides. Its full benefit, however, will not be felt until the completion of the Te Mehia-Portage section. Bridle-road formed, 3 miles 69 chains; bush felled and cleared, 60 chains; scrub cleared, 3 miles 3 chains; ditching, 13 chains ; and six log bridges. Tawhiunui-Bai, —A clearing has been opened up to form a cattle-drive from Grego Point, west of and near Brightlands Bay, Tawhiunui Reach, to the west boundary of Section 4, Block V., Tennyson Inlet—each in Pelorus Sound. The clearing is through dense, heavy bush, 33 ft. wide. The bush has been felled and stacked, and the underscrub cleared. 5 miles 74 chains of cattle-drive were executed. Picton-Waikawa. —This dray-road has been re-formed and metalled between Waikawa Creek and village. Provision has been made on the estimates for a continuation of this work from Waikawa Creek, going in the direction of Picton. The creek has given signs within the last two years of, in the near future, becoming troublesome. The floods of June and July, 1896, brought down about 2,000 tons of boulders and shingle to the vicinity of the ford, and threatens to change the direction of the creek. The Maoris of Waikawa, who are interested in the road, erected a groin in the stream, which temporarily holds it in check. Dray-road re-formed and metalled, 42 chains. Omaka Bridge. —To protect the Renwick Ford below the foot-bridge river-protective works have been carried out by the Omaka Road Board. The works undertaken up to date are protective groins to the banks, the planting of willows on the right and left banks, to protect the road, and an extension of the foot-bridge. The Omaka, being a shingle-bearing river, requires frequent attention, and more especially after partial floods. For this and other protective river-works a sum has been put on the estimates on behalf of the Omaka Road Board; grant-in-aid, £300. Foot-bridge, Taylor River. —Floods in the Taylor River having destroyed the foot-bridge that spanned the ford on the new Renwick Road, the Wairau Road Board has had it replaced by a
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