Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/272

66 of the year, so far as the safety of stock is concerned. It only remains to be mentioned, that under this portion of country there is also included the Mararoa Valley, above the Mavora Lakes. This part of the valley, from the head of the Mavora Lakes to the Pondburn, is, for an average breadth of 2 miles, covered with as fine pasture as any part of the valley lower down; but from its high elevation, being nowhere less than 2100 feet above the sea-level, and rising from that till it merges into barrenness, near the source of the Mararoa, it is almost certain to be under snow for some time during winter.

The pastoral country drained by the Kawarau may next be noticed. Its extent is 552·3 square miles, lying principally around the Wakatipu Lake, and the valleys leading into it. Beginning at the head of the lake, and coming down the west side, there is no pastoral country till the mouth of the Greenstone is reached; there, on a terrace-flat, are found a few hundred acres of fine pasture. Continuing down the lake from the Greenstone 9 miles of a very rugged steep incline, covered with fern, is passed over before the valley of the Von is reached. This valley is several miles wide; it encircles Mount Nicholas and Pasture Hill, and runs back for 15 miles in a south-west direction, when it blends with the Oreti and Mararoa Valleys; the whole forming one continuous well-grassed, well-sheltered valley, between the Wakatipu Lake and the Te Anau Downs, of a height nowhere greater than 2600 feet above sea-level, and falling from that elevation on both sides to the level of the lakes. After passing the mouth of the Von Valley, the mountains again rise abruptly from the lake and leave little room, between its margin and the line of barrenness, for vegetation. The valleys of Collin’s Bay and Halfway Bay unite together by a low saddle behind Bayonet Peaks, and make up between them several thousand acres of very fair country. South of Halfway Bay the west side of the lake rises precipitously, and, with the exception of some straggling scrub amongst the rocks, is entirely barren. Returning to the head of the lake, and coming down its east side, there will be (including the valleys of the Dart and Rees) 91 square miles of pastoral country gone over before reaching Fortune Cove; it consists of the spurs from the Richardson mountains, and of considerable flats at the head of the lake, and around Mount Alfred. This is all well-grassed, and is capable of bearing a large amount of stock throughout the year; for, from the fact of there being a large proportion of low country, not much over 1000 feet in elevation, there will always be abundance of feed during winter in the valleys when the higher parts are under snow. It is a considerable drawback to this country that, except by boating, there is no ready means of access to it,