53

ground for a further length of five
miles to a stream named Te Awakari,
where the country gradually opens out
into pumice stone terraces. From this
point to the end of the valley, the ob-
stacles to dray traffic are trifling,
nothing more than some small streams,
and 1 or 2 trifling swamps. Between
the Ripia and Taupo plain there is a
low ridge, Maruanui, to go over, of
about 100 feet in height, but presenting
no difficulty of a formidable nature.
From the foot of Maruanui, along the
plains to the crossing of the Waikato,
drays can now travel, and by proceed-
ing direct to the junction of the Wai-
kato with the lake, avoiding Opipi Pah,
a saving of three or four miles may be
effected.

Although the country from Mohaka
to Taupo has not been previously
travelled by Europeans, I have no
doubt it possesses many advantages
over the Tarawera mail track, and that
an excellent road can be had through
the valley of the Ripia. For at least
one or two and twenty miles the works
will be expensive, but the gradients are
good. For this distance I should re-
commend the Natives being encouraged
to clear the bush half a chain wide
from the flood mark, and making a nar-
row horse track about twenty feet above
this mark, continuing the track to near
the Awakari. Once open this for hor-
ses and few except natives will travel
the present mail track. A dray road
from Peka Peka to Pukititiri and
through that bush might answer for the
present, continuing the communication
from Pukititiri by a bridle road over
the Mohaka to the Ripia, and joining
the bridle track there when completed.
The rivers which must be bridged are
the Tutaekuri, the Mangaone, the Mo-
haka, and Makikia. The last is a
small stream liable to floods like the
others. Returning by the mail track,
the present line is excellent to Rangi-
tiki, which is a river of some size liable
to heavy freshes, but free from timber.
This stream is about 70 feet wide, and
the distance from the lake is at least
18 miles. The road is still nearly level
to Runanga, crossing some swamp land
near the latter place. From this point
the country becomes more irregular
and broken, and the track passes up
and down several gulleys and small
rivulets running along an old river bed
for some miles; after leaving which
broken ground is again met with to the

Waipanga—a stream 18 feet wide at
the crossing; the bed loose stone and
rock. (As this river empties itself into
the Mohaka to the Eastward of the
Ripia a good level can be had along its
banks but these are so steep and broken
in the very many places I passed close
to them that the construction of any
road by this way must be fearfully ex-
pensive.) After passing this river the
road follows an exceedingly bad track
through bush to the Waipanga, which it
again crosses. For the last 2 miles the
Natives have formed a track averaging
6 or 8 feet in width, which is an im-
provement for horses; but in keeping
so close to the old track they have not
avoided any of the hills, which they
might have done by keeping near the
river, and that without much additional
labour or expense. They are now
planting potatoes at Te ware o te koa,
as they informed me, to feed their
workmen while continuing the road;
but they should be informed that they
cannot be paid unless they carry the
road round the hills by the Waipanga;
otherwise any expenditure on the old
track will be a waste of money. From
Waipanga to Tarawera the hills are
less steep, but some portions of the main
road are very steep, and from the want
of any protection against the rains of
winter, it is much cut up. From Tara-
wera, it is very bad to the river Wai-
panga; the course of which at this place
the Natives are desirous to alter, but
the expense of doing so would be con-
siderable and of doubtful utility if car-
ried out. Shortly after crossing the
Waipanga the path ascends a fearful
hill called Turangakumu, the worst on
this road. The Natives speak of im-
proving it, but any attempt of the kind
would be ridiculous. The hill can be
avoided, and to allow any money for
work performed making a road up this
ascent would be most injudicious. Af-
ter attaining the summit the track pas-
ses over broken ground through bush
to Kakawahine, from which point the
bush has been cleared and the line im-
proved to Te Harato, by the Chief
Kingita. The neighbouring Chief Ki-
pa is making another road also towards
Tarawera, but I very much doubt if it
be an improvement over the present bad
one, and I could not recommend him to
receive any assistance from the Govern-
ment. I believe a good line can be