1602
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 73

Rural Lands in the Wellington Land District open for Sale or Selection.

District Lands and Survey Office, Wellington, 20th September, 1898.

THE under-mentioned Crown lands will be opened for sale or selection, in terms of section 136 of “The Land Act, 1892,” either for cash, for occupation with right of purchase, or for lease in perpetuity, at the option of the selector, on and after Wednesday, the 23rd November, 1898.

SCHEDULE.

WELLINGTON LAND DISTRICT.—RANGIWAEA NO. 2 BLOCK.

First- and Second-class Land.

• First-class land.
  † Second-class land.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF LAND.

Rangiwaea Block is situated between the Upper Wangaehu and Turakina Rivers, about seven miles south of Karioi. The area comprises generally hilly and undulating lands, intersected by valleys which merge into gorges in places, particularly on the Wangaehu side. The block is fairly well watered, but the destruction of the forest will doubtless affect the water-supply, and lead to the drying-up of the smaller streams in summer time. The whole area, except two or three small clearings, is covered with mixed bush, including maire, matai, kahikatea, rimu, rata, &c., with the usual undergrowth. On the western side of the block there is some birch in places. The formation is papa and sandstone, with shell-rock cropping up here and there. The soil generally is good, but there is a strip on the Wangaehu River side of poorer quality.

Karioi, which contains a store, post-office, public school, coaching-station, &c., is approached from the block by Native lands, across which it may be reached on horseback, subject to the permission of the owners, by unformed tracks. The only present legal access is from Wanganui and Fordell, via Mangamahu and Hale’s Road, through the Maungakaretu Block, thence by the Mangatotara Road, which is formed for horse traffic to within one mile and a quarter of the block. It is proposed to survey and legalise the road-lines in continuation of those to the southward in the Wangaehu and Turakina Valleys, which will pass through the western and eastern sides respectively of the block, and to extend these two latter lines northward, through the Native lands, to a junction with the Main North Island Trunk Road from Hunterville to Waimarino. Karioi is distant from Hunterville by this road sixty-seven miles, and from Mangaonoho, the terminus of the North Island Main Trunk Railway, sixty miles.

The country is from 1,300 ft. to 2,400 ft. above sea-level, and when brought into cultivation should prove well adapted to pastoral pursuits, though, owing to the elevation of the country and its inland position, the winters are colder than on the coast, and will consequently affect to some extent pasturage in the winter season.

DESCRIPTION OF SECTIONS.

Section 1, Block IV., Ngamatea District, is situated on the Wangaehu Road, which is laid out up the Maketu Creek. The present access is from Main Road near Karioi, which is about eight miles distant via pack-tracks through open tussock country. A dray-road is also constructed up the Wangaehu River for twenty miles from Mangamahu, and another ten miles would reach this section, most of which is only a surveyed road. The section comprises, generally speaking, hillocky forest country, with small flats in the different gullies; it is rough and broken for 10 to 20 chains back from the Wangaehu River. The soil ranges from poor to good, 4in. to 8 in. in depth, resting on papa-and-sandstone formation. The forest is heavy on the flats, and lighter on the hills, comprising chiefly rimu, kahikatea, matai, maire, miro, &c., with a medium undergrowth of kotukutuku, mahoe, maku, rangiora, &c. The section is fairly well watered by permanent streams. The elevation ranges from about 1,650 ft. to 2,050 ft. above sea-level.

Section 5, Block IV., Ngamatea District, is situated between Owhakura and Wangaehu Roads. The access is the same as in Section 1. The section comprises flats along the Maketu Creek, the remainder being rising spurs towards the east. The soil is of good quality, 4 in. to 8 in. in depth, resting on papa-and-sandstone formation. The forest is of medium density on the spurs, and larger on the flats, and similar to that on Section 1. The section is well watered by a permanent stream. The elevation ranges from about 1,750 ft. to 2,000 ft. above sea-level.

Section 6, Block IV., Ngamatea District, is situated on the Owhakura Road. The present access is from Main Road near Karioi, which is about nine miles distant, via pack-track through open country and along surveyed road. From Mangamahu this section is distant about thirty miles, twenty of which is dray-road; the remainder is for the greater part only a surveyed road. The section comprises a small amount of flat along frontage and on the tops of spurs, and is broken at the back portion by a small stream. The soil is same as on Section 5. The forest is fairly dense throughout, similar to that on Section 1. The section is fairly well watered at present by a small stream. The elevation ranges from about 1,780 ft. to 1,950 ft. above sea-level.