Jan. 7.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 19

MAKOTUKU* AND RARETE† SURVEY DISTRICTS.

Unsurveyed First-class Land.

I., II., IX.,* A. R. P. s. s. s. d. d.
XII.† 970 0 0 20/ to 1/ to 1/1·2 /9¾ to
22/6 /10¾

This block is divided into two parts. The southern portion comprises the south-western portion of the original Atuahae Native Block, on the south side of the Pipiriki–Ohakune Road, distant about ten miles from Pipiriki. The balance is part of the Waimarino Block, to the west of the Waimarino Special Settlement, and lying back from the main Pipiriki Road. The area comprises hilly and undulating country. The formation is papa, and the soil good throughout. The block is very well watered. The forest consists of rimu, rata, maire, tawa, matai, kahikatea, miro, tawhero, &c.; the undergrowth is of the ordinary character. The main access is from Pipiriki, on the Wanganui River, which road is made for dray traffic. A river-steamer runs from Wanganui to Pipiriki frequently. The block can be approached by the Hunterville–Karioi cart-road, and by Hale’s and Field’s horse-roads from the West Coast centres in the Wellington District north of Marton. The elevation ranges from 1,400 ft. to 2,600 ft. The climate is more bracing than on the sea-coast in the Wellington District: during summer the days are bright and warm, with cold nights; frosts are sharp in winter, and falls of snow are not uncommon. The block, when cleared, will be well suited for pastoral purposes, and portions of it ultimately adapted for agriculture and fruit-growing.

Unsurveyed Second-class Land.

Blocks II., III., V., VI., VII., VIII., IX., X., XI., XII., XIII., XIV., XV., XVI., Kaitieke Survey District; Blocks II., III., VI., VII., Manganui Survey District: Area, 39,700 acres. Cash price per acre, 15s. to £1 3s. 6d.; occupation with right of purchase—rent per acre per annum, 9d. to 1s. 2·1d.; lease in perpetuity—rent per acre per annum, 7·2d. to 11·28d.

This land is a portion of the Waimarino Block, and lies generally to the west of the Waimarino–Taumarunui Road and the proposed North Island Main Trunk Railway, and may be described as comprising a portion of the upper valley of the Retaruke River and the valleys of the Oio and Kaitieke Streams, with the spurs and slopes falling into these waterways. The block as a whole is reported to be good pastoral country; the soil is good, on a sandstone-and-papa formation; and although in places hilly, the country is not broken, the slopes being, generally speaking, gradual. Good homestead-sites are obtainable in the valleys of the above-mentioned streams, where there is a considerable area of open fern and scrub country. With the exception of portions of the Retaruke, Oio, and Kaitieke Valleys, the land is densely wooded, the timber comprising chiefly tawa, tawhero, rata, rimu, kahikatea, hinau, maire, &c. The country is well watered in the lower portions; the climate is mild, and the frosts in winter are not generally severe, while the altitude taken throughout may be quoted as from about 800 ft. to 2,000 ft. above sea-level. The access is from Wanganui via Pipiriki, thence to Raetihi, which is distant from the block about thirty-five to forty-five miles; about seven miles of the road from Raetihi is formed for vehicular traffic, the remainder is a good bridle-track most of the way. The block can also be reached on horseback from the Auckland side via Taumarunui, and also via Taupo and Tokaanu. Although the lower flats on the Oio and Retaruke Rivers are covered with pumice, it is reported that very little of it is found on the hills. (Litho. 383.)

WAITOTARA COUNTY.

Unsurveyed Second-class Land.

Blocks XII., XVI., Momohaki Survey District; Blocks IX., X., XIII., XIV., Tauakira Survey District; Blocks I., II., Waipakura Survey District: Area, 29,608 acres. Cash price, 15s. to £1 per acre. Occupation with right of purchase—rent per acre per annum, 9d. to 1s.; lease in perpetuity—rent per acre per annum, 7·2d. to 9·6d.

These blocks are situated on the right bank of the Wanganui River, nearly opposite Athens, which is about thirty miles from Wanganui, from which there is access by steamer, and from landing-places by proposed roads only. Access to the south-western portion of block can be had from Kaiiwi Railway-station, which is about eighteen miles distant via Bayly’s Road, which is formed for dray traffic to within about a mile and a half of the Puketotara Block; the rest is not formed. The country generally is very rough and broken, the ridges being steep and narrow, with steep and precipitous gullies in places. The land is all forest-clad, the timber consisting principally of tawhero, black-birch, hinau, rata, tawa, rimu, &c., with an undergrowth of rangiora, houhou, mahoe, supplejack, &c. The soil varies from poor to fair, on papa-and-sandstone formation; the blocks are generally well watered. The altitude is from about 100 ft. to 1,700 ft. above sea-level, the ridges averaging from 1,400 ft. to 1,500 ft, and the Ahuahu Valley about 250 ft. Along the Ahuahu Stream there are small flats here and there which are suitable for homestead-sites, sheep-yards, &c. (Litho. 380.)

SECOND SCHEDULE.—SCRUB LAND.

Second-class Land.

Hutt .. | Akatarawa .. | 28 | XVI. | 40 0 0 | 0 15 0 | 30 0 0 | 0 9 | 0 15 0 | 0 7·2 | 0 12 0

This section is situated on the main coach-road, about two miles south of the Rimutaka Saddle, on both sides of the road. The access is from Kaitoke, which is about five miles distant. The section comprises steep hilly land. The soil is of a poor rocky nature, resting on rock formation. Undergrowth consists of fern, cottonwood, broom, &c. The section is well watered by a small creek. The elevation ranges from about 1,500 ft. to 2,000 ft. above sea-level. (Litho. 281.)

As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this twenty-sixth day of December, one thousand nine hundred and three.

T. Y. DUNCAN,
Minister of Lands.

Rural Lands in Canterbury Land District open for Sale or Selection.

RANFURLY, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by the one-hundred-and-thirty-sixth section of “The Land Act, 1892,” I, Uchter John Mark, Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor of the Colony of New Zealand, having received the report of the Surveyor-General in this behalf, as in the said section is provided, do hereby declare that the rural lands enumerated in the Schedule hereto shall be open for sale or selection on and after the twenty-fourth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and four; and also that the lands mentioned in the said Schedule may, at the option of the applicant, be purchased for cash, or be selected for occupation with right of purchase or on lease in perpetuity, or, in respect of any land containing or supposed to contain any metal, mineral, or valuable stone, be selected on lease in perpetuity only; and I do hereby also fix the prices at which the said lands shall be sold, occupied, or leased, as mentioned in the said Schedule hereto, and do declare that the said lands shall be sold, occupied, or leased under and subject to the provisions of “The Land Act, 1892.”