WAIAU RIVER NAVIGATION.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 19, 23 July 1920, Page 8

WAIAU RIVER NAVIGATION.

(Report by Mr W. Hinchey).

In compliance with the wishes o jM Board I accompanied Mr Jh ■ on a visit to the Wanganui iiwrcn 20th, 21st, and 22nd, for the porj« ■ cumparing it with the aia" 1 the view to the possibihties o ■> J I Ihe latter. 1 For the first twenty miles the ' ^ I flows slowly and the influe11^ I tiuc is felt for that distance, cct . I navigation is easy. Iltll„nel" I Light draft steam boats of the ^ U tvpe are used up to Pipiri^1 ' ^ p yM of sixty miles. The "Waione ^ y ■ the boat we travelled by car ^ pdj forty tons, and averaged sevc^ hour, including stops. ^ jjllcfH "Matahiwi," below PiphVb ^ tatC I feet in fifteen chains, was i 1h\s boat without a rope. a At Pipiriki we trans erre , 75 I boat 75ft long, 7ft beaJI1' ' f tie ^ I using kerosene. On thrs 1 ^ ^ ■ rapids are more frequen rpjjjs bo»l ^ H ger.erally is much fastei. ■ ^eshvJmRes per hour S 6„„d condition- / this reach appearet 0 |

\mgr ; ' #3 the Waiau rapids, and they wero y aegotiated, with oue exception, without the assisUMce of ropes. The exception n w-xs at "Tairepokiri," or "Hell's Gates." Tne river is narrow at this place, with a gharp bend resembling the bend belcrw ti»e preposed bridge site on the Waiau, Sunnyside. The rapid is very steep, etud no difficulty was experienced in getting the boat over it with Iittle deLay. At the boathouse we transferred to a jti.l> smaller motor boat of the sarne type, which averaged four miles per hour, with a 40 H.P. engine. This reach of the river to Taumarunui has a swifter average than lower down and consequently many more rapids, and the captain of the boat assured me that t-he current on many of these, was from seven to eight miles per hour On only one of them was a rope " used, where the fall was said to be ten ^ s feet in one and a half a chains. J The Wanganui differs from the Waiau in that it has less than half the fall per mile and has long runs of moderate curre ixand then a rapid, or cornes down by Isteps ; whereas the Waiau with much greater fall sweeps alortg with a faster average current all the way. I was much impressed with the manner 'wn which the boats were handled. ihe "tunnel" system of construction with double rudders gives perfect control in swift currents, and they appeared to answer to the movements of the wheel with the kfease and safety of motor cars. Some of the worst rapids on the river were nav^ated in the darkness, and withou^ Jights of any kind outside cf the enginerocm, which is a tribute to the keen eyesight and perfect knowledge of the river possessed by the men in charge. Affier having scen what is being done on the Wanganui, I have no hesitation in saying that in my opinion the navigation of the Waiau river is a proposition capable of practical accomplidiment, and the most suitablo boats would be high speed twinengiiied motor boats of the type recommerped by Captain Allen. yfc.I wish to express my appreciation of the (pskrtesy and hospitality extended to Mr Vickerrdan and myself by Messrs Hatrick ani'iCo., and by Captain Allen and the river staff, every facility having been afforded us for obtaining information concrvrfa/r their system of river transport.