REEFTON TO AMBERLEY BY WAY OF THE CANNIBAL GORGE.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1129, 13 September 1882, Page 2

REEFTON TO AMBERLEY BY WAY OF THE CANNIBAL GORGE.

[To the Editor Inangaiiua Times.] Sir, — I gladly comply with your request, and herewith furnish you a report upon the practicability of a road between Reefton and the settled districts on the Canterbury side, through the Cannibal Gorge. In 1870, the construction of a track from Reefton to the head of the i Maruia Plains, a distance of 30 miles, j was lot to Mr G. Walker, by the Inangai hu;i County Council, for the sum of I £3500, and the work was performed in accordance with specifications drawn up by me, I was then acting as engineer to the Council. The track was made for .tho purpose of encouraging the large run*holders to bring their surplus stock through Reefton to the West Coast. It was considered at the time that if the people on the Canterbury side of the range were shown that a good track really existed into Reefton by way of the Cannibal Gorge, stock owners and others J would avail themselves of ijk v The formation of the track proved treat a .really good road lirife existed for .if' distance of 30 miles from Reef ton. In 1880, I prospected the County ahead of the Maruia track, as it was proposed atjljhat time to complete a stock tragji as fat as the boundary of the County. After inspecting the Cannibal Gorge aijd the country on eacli side of the Gorge, I found that a good road line was practicable from Reefton to tho boundary of the County. The difficulty, as far as road making is concerned, does not commence until the en•tflance to the*"Carihib l al "Gorge is reached, when for a ASsta'nce of about four and ahalf uailes — one and a-half of which is in the Inangahua County — the road would be in side cutting, but after this four and a-half miles has been passed all difficulties cease, for the country changes into open grass plains, and a ho^e can be ridden anywhere. Itwillnotbeoutofplacfi-tomentiona fact that is not generally fftwfn, and .which I believe ip ■altogether unknown by the Government, and that is, the maps show that the Spencer Range ia the saddle that divides the*hea3s of the Maruia and Ada rivers, when as a matter of fact the Maruia river flows through the lfljart of the Sponcer ranges, and a very low saddle at the head called the Ada saddle divides the waters of the Maruia and Ada rivers. I believe tho supposition has been that no pass existed through the Sponcer range at all at '-this point, and as a proof that what I state is correct I will mention a fact and which can be verified by Messrs Walker and Wilson, Government Engineer, who travelled with me. On Maivh 3rd 1880, j wo loft Fowler's station .it Lake Ouynn in j t/uo Aiu'.iri (.'"Uuty, :it 7 a.m. and arrived i in Reefton at 2 a. in the next morning, '

having passed through the Gorge, and performed the journey with tho savno horses, a distance of about 57 miles. Had we to cross the Spencer mountains which would be ridiculoustoattempton horseback we could not possibly have performed the distance within the time. I mention this because I think it important, and it must prove beyond a doubt that a good route exists by way of the Inangahua arid • •<■. Maruia rivers for road purposes. ; ' Tho distance .between Reofton and Amberly railway station are about as follows : — Itaefton to end of Maruia track, 30 miles. From tho end of the track to tho hot springs, 0 miles. From the hot springs to the Cannibal Gorge, 3i miles. Through the Gorge to the boundary of Inangahua county, l£ miles. From the boundary to Lake Guyon in the Amuri county, 10 miles. From Lake Guyon to tho Woolshod on the Clarence river, 8 miles. From the Woolshod to there theVag I gons come at present, or Jack 'B Pass, lS j miles - or for the road, 83 milos. From Jack's Pass to Waiou firry, 4 miles. J?rom ferry to the Hurunnui, 26 iniLac^».-. To Waikata Flat, 8 miles.. To Waipara railway station, 8 miles. To Amberly, 6 miles. I am Sir &c, Wiluam Gardener.