Canterbury and Westland. 233 



Hurunui. South of Timaru, a belt of fine alluvial land, of an average 

 breadth of seven miles, which may be considered the southern con- 

 tinuation of the Canterbury plains proper, reaches to the Waitaki. 

 It consists of plateau-like downs, having an altitude of about GOO 

 feet near the foot of the ranges, by which it is bounded on the west. 

 Gradually it falls to about 100 feet a few miles from the coast, where 

 it forms a line of small inland bluffs. Numerous creeks have cut 

 broad channels through the incoherent strata, of which these downs 

 are composed. Erom their eastern termination to the sea coast, a belt 

 of low lying, rich land, with a series of lagoons close to the sea, is 

 situated, also extensively used for agricultural purposes. A. glance 

 at the Geological Map attached to this Report, will show us that 

 these downs are simply the lower portion of the old Opihi valley, and 

 that before that river broke through the small palaeozoic ranges, the 

 large river issuing from the extension of the Waitaki-Opihi glacier in 

 the Great Glacier period, followed a southerly course to the Pacific 

 Ocean. This river, breaking through the huge moraine across the Opihi 

 valley below the present gorge, followed a south-by-east course, first 

 receiving the Tengawai, then the Pareora, and reaching the sea coast 

 after its junction with the waters of the Otaio. In this broad opening, 

 the rich alluvial lands of the upper Otaio, Pareora, and Tengawai are 

 situated. North of the Opihi gorge, this plain continues for 12 miles 

 in a northerly direction, being at one time after the retreat of the 

 great glacier, without doubt, a lake, which was gradually filled up by 

 the alluvial deposits of the Opihi and Opuha branches, and contains 

 now some very good agricultural land. 



Near the mouth of the Waitaki, the shallow alluvial fan of that 

 river is partly preserved, continuing about eighteen miles inland and 

 having, on the Canterbury side, an average breadth of three miles. 

 "West of the township of Waimate, following the small Wairnate 

 Creek, and after passing through the Coast range, we reach the Waihao 

 plains. It is evident that, before the Waihao river had cut its present 

 channel, a lake was here situated, having gradually been filled up by 

 the deposits brought down the "Waihao. The last remnant of this lake 

 is still to be found on the flat, now drained by the "Waimate Creek. 

 There is also some fine agricultural land in this basin. Ascending the 

 "Waitaki, and crossing the small gorge at the junction of the 

 Hakataramea with that river, we reach the Hakataramea plains. Here 

 on the western side of the river for nearly twenty miles, older alluvial 

 deposits, along which the river has excavated its present bed, have been 

 preserved. They are, on an average, about three miles broad and are 

 all fit for the plough. 



