"MUD TO THE AXLES"
Sir-There was one fallacy in the excellent broadcast by John Pascoe, "Mud to the Axles-a Journey from Wellington to Auckland in 1912," and that was the final assumption that conditions on,the central highway are better today. The introduction to this talk in the series They Went the Unknown Ways, suggested that anyone who chose the highway through Hunterville, Taihape and the King Countty was definitely misguided; and that the farmers and local residents were being caused hardship. How history repeats itself! This route is still the Cinderella of New Zealand highways. Mossburn-Te Anau road, which carries little but tourist traffic, and that for only part of the year, has had its corners straightened, its dips filled and its surface tarsealed; but the road from Wellington to Auckland, and through the centre of the North Island still has all the hazards mentioned in 1912-yes, even the "MUD, spelt with capital letters!" The sharp bends, the abominable surface, the bridges of restricted capacity-how well we know them all. Truly the powers-that-be have gone "unknown ways’ so far as we are concerned!
C.
EMSLIE
Mangaweka)
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19560907.2.12.5
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 892, 7 September 1956, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
186"MUD TO THE AXLES" New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 892, 7 September 1956, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in