c.—e

The road winds up and down to negotiate the difficulties the country presents, and after passing over Calf Creek and Gorge Creek, which are provided with under-strutted wooden bridges, we arrive opposite the position where the Waiau River junctions with the Hope. In the fork of the Waiau and the Hope lies the homestead of the Glen Hope Run, and we see here the remains of a bridge which was once erected across the Hope to connect that homestead with the south bank of the river ; this bridge was washed away in a heavy flood shortly after its erection. The road then proceeds by Horseshoe Lake, a tarn situated close to the fault-line that runs through this country, a reminder of the earthquake on the Ist September, 1888. The picture presented looking westward across the lake, with the poplars and pine plantations of the Glynwye Homestead in the foreground and away to Mount Garfield in the distance, is at all times a pleasing one and in some lights particularly so. The road drops down to pass over Kakapo Stream by a temporary wooden bridge, and then proceeds on past the Glynwye Homestead, leaving the old suspension sheep-bridge across the Hope on our right. This bridge was erected by Mr. Duncan Rutherford when he held the pastoral license covering the country on both sides of the Hope. Passing Glynwye the road proceeds to the bridge crossing the Hope, and after passing over this, a temporary structure, takes a turn along the left bank of the river, crossing a concrete bridge over what is called Nathans Creek, shortly before reaching the homestead known as " The Poplars." The bush areas we now see on the right-hand side of the road have recently become State forest, and on turning up the Doubtful River about a mile beyond " The Poplars " we get our first real view of the scenic reserves which lie around Mount Garfield. The bush in these reserves consists almost wholly of birch, but it is nevertheless well worthy of preservation from a scenic point of view, as well as from one of utility. Given a fine day, the views from here on to the Pass itself are really charming. The air is crystal clear, and at every turn in the road there is some new feature to be seen. At Rough Creek, which flows down from the slopes of Mount Garfield into the Doubtful, there is stated to be an area of bush which harbours a number of songbirds, and Mr. Barrett, the licensee, states that he often took his lunch in this particular spot when working sheep in that locality in order to listen to these songsters. We then come to the junction of the Doubtful with the River Boyle, and turning up into the Boyle we meet with a heavier class of bush. The country on the right is fairly open with clumps of bush dotted here and there on the hillsides, but on the opposite bank of the river the bush reaches from the river's edge to the sky-line, and as we pass the Doubtful and the Nina the glimpses up their valleys are worthy of attention. It may be noted that the earlier plans of this district show as proceeding up these valleys a line noted as the approximate route of the proposed line of the Bast and West Coast Railway, one being via the Doubtful Pass by Mr. Foy, and another being marked " Mr. J. Blackett's surveyed line of railway to Reefton via the Lewis Pass." The road changes from flat to shingle sidelings, crossing here and there over small creeks and then turning up to pass the Boyle by a temporary wooden bridge. After passing over the open space immediately north of the Boyle where it joins with the Lewis we enter into Scenic Reserve No. 4378 and remain within the boundaries of this reserve until reaching Lewis Pass. Shortly before entering this reserve, 011 the opposite side of the Lewis River may be seen the Sylvia Falls, and a further mile or so along the road, also across the river, the maps record the existence of a hot spring. From this place to the Pass itself the road is practically wholly within the bush, and outside of the winter months this is a very pleasant drive. Numerous small streams are met with and passed, some by bridges, others by open ford. The workers 011 the road gave their own particular names to the majority of these streams, such as Dan's Creek and Dorothy's, Margaret's, and Maud's Creeks, the last three being named after the wives of the engineers 011 the job. The grade throughout the length of this road from the Waiau Ferry to the Lewis Pass is, taking it generally, an easy one, the places in which a steep climb is required being for relatively short lengths, and the road is becoming increasingly popular from month to month. The surface of the road is excellent, and with the passing of the years it should be capable of maintaining a good volume of traffic. Winter brings snow, which lies for some time generally 011 the higher turns of the road up towards the Pass, and at the Pass itself is a mountain tarn which in the winter-time is said to be covered with a coating of thick ice providing an excellent skating-area, Over the Pass into the Westland side the country bccomes much more broken as we drop down towards the Maruia Springs.

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