852
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
[No. 19

Opening National Endowment Lands in Nelson Land District for Selection.

PLUNKET, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by “The Land Act, 1892,” and its amendments, I, William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, do hereby declare that the national endowment lands described in the Schedule hereto shall be open for selection on renewable lease on Wednesday, the twentieth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and eight, at the rentals mentioned in the said Schedule; and I do also declare that the said lands shall be leased under and subject to the provisions of “The Land Act, 1892,” and the National Endowment Act, 1907.

SCHEDULE.

NELSON LAND DISTRICT.—BULLER COUNTY.—OPARARA BLOCK.

Second-class Unsurveyed Land.

Acres.

Oparara .. | I, V, VI, XIV, XV | 6,920 | 4·8d. to 5·88d.

Third-class Unsurveyed Land.

Oparara .. | I, V, VI, VII, IX, X, XI, XV | 10,251 | 3·72d. to 4·44d.

This land is situated on the Kohaihai, Oparara, and Karamea Rivers, being bounded on the north by the Kohaihai River, on the east by Crown land, on the south by the Otumahana Block (recently opened for settlement), and on the west by freehold and leasehold lands and the sea-coast.

The land is well watered, and more or less covered with forest, consisting of totara, rimu, yellow-pine, silver-pine, cedar, brown-birch, black-birch, silver-birch, kamahi, and rata—birch predominates. The underscrub may be classed as cattle-feed.

The altitude of the land varies from sea-level to 1,600 ft.

The formation generally is granite, but limestone crops out in places.

The quality of the land towards the coast is from fair to good soil, but poorer inland. The spurs over a great portion of the area are fairly undulating, and the hilltops more or less flat. Grass should take fairly well when the land has been cleared.

All the subdivisions are accessible by unformed roads, but it is proposed to make horse-roads to further open up the land.

Generally speaking, this country has facilities for road-making, as gravel can be obtained almost anywhere on the block.

A block of land has been reserved for sawmilling purposes. There are also auriferous lands reserved for mining purposes.

The Township of Karamea is situated at the south-west portion of the block, at the mouth of the Karamea River, and good gravel roads lead from the township to the surrounding country.

Steamers from Westport call three times a month at Karamea, which is distant about forty miles to the north.

There are old-established settlements on both banks of the Karamea River extending through the block.

As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this sixth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and eight.

ROBERT MCNAB.
Minister of Lands.

Opening National Endowment Lands in Nelson Land District for Selection.

PLUNKET, Governor.

IN pursuance and exercise of the powers and authorities conferred upon me by “The Land Act, 1892,” and its amendments, I, William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, do hereby declare that the national endowment lands described in the Schedule hereto shall be open for selection on renewable lease on Wednesday, the twentieth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and eight, at the rentals mentioned in the said Schedule; and I do also declare that the said lands shall be leased under and subject to the provisions of “The Land Act, 1892,” and the National Endowment Act, 1907.

SCHEDULE.

NELSON LAND DISTRICT.—COLLINGWOOD COUNTY.—HEAPHY BLOCK.

Second-class Unsurveyed Land.

Whakapoai .. | I, V | A. R. P. | s. d
| | | 1,287 0 0 | 0 5·76

Third-class Unsurveyed Land.

Whakapoai .. | I,II,V,VI, IX, XIII | 11,743 0 0 | From 3·12d. to 4·32d.

This block is situated on the west coast of the Nelson Land District, between the Heaphy River and Gunner Creek on the north and the Kohaihai River on the south.

It is well and permanently watered.

The soil is generally rather inferior, but it is good along the coast and within a mile back from the Heaphy River. The formation is principally granite, but there are good limestone outcrops at Kohaihai Bluff and generally within a mile of the Heaphy River.

The land is forest-clad, the timber consisting principally of brown-birch, black-birch, silver-birch, kamahi, and a little totara and rimu, but not in sufficient quantity to be of value for milling purposes.

The altitude of the country varies from sea-level to about 3,500 ft.

The land when cleared and grassed will be suitable for pastoral purposes.

The climate is remarkably even and temperate, rather humid in winter and hot in summer, although the heat is tempered by the sea-breeze. The rainfall is probably less than at Karamea, and considerably less than at Westport.

Access to the northern portion of the block is from Collingwood, a distance of about fifty-seven miles along a well-formed bridle-track. Access from the south is from Karamea via the beach by horse or vehicle at low spring tide to the mouth of the Kohaihai River, a distance of 10¼ miles. At ordinary low tides, however, horses can only be taken along the beach for about nine miles.

The hotel nearest to the block is at Karamea, and the nearest settler (at whose place horses may be left) is Mr. G. T. Harris, who occupies Section No. 4, Block I, Oparara, about eight miles from Karamea. Mr. Harris has a hut with bunks therein, which can probably be made available for the temporary accommodation of people wishing to inspect the land. There is another settler (Mr. J. R. Simpson) who occupies Section No. 15, Block V, Oparara, he and Mr. Harris being the only residents along the beach north of the Oparara River.

Good coal has been found in Gunner Creek, and fair-quality ligneous coal has been found on the high ground along the Collingwood and Heaphy Track.

The river Heaphy is navigable by small steamers, and about a quarter of a mile up the river from the mouth there is a good anchorage.

It is proposed to form bridle-tracks from the Kohaihai River up the coast and up the Gunner Creek.

As witness the hand of His Excellency the Governor, this ninth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and eight.

ROBERT MCNAB,
Minister of Lands.

Opening Lands in Auckland Land District for Selection on Renewable Lease.

PLUNKET, 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, William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, having received the report of the Under-Secretary in this behalf, as in the said section is provided, do hereby declare that the rural lands described in the Schedule hereto shall be open for selection on Wednesday, the twentieth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and eight; and also