A short time before this, these two gentlemen (at that time young men) walked from Longburn to Ohau. On arriving at a point just south of Levin Railway Station, where the Levin saleyards are now situated, darkness came on, and not being able to proceed further they spread out their blankets in the bush and slept under the trees, next day continuing their tramp to Ohau.They then traversed the Ohau river up where the Muhunoa East bridge now spans the river.
It was about this spot where they later made their first acquaintance with my father who, after purchasing the property at Muhunoa East, had arrived at this point on his way up to reside on the property. As the two brothers had purchased the property adjoining that of my father’s, they became very close friends and my father later married their sister. The meeting was timely and resulted in a most fortunate ending both for him and our mother, and the large family which they reared together.
The forming of the roads in the district provided work for many of the settlers while they gradually felled the bush and cleared the land for production. The Muhunoa East Road [was] reached from the crossing just north of the railway station and up to the foothills. About 15 chains from the east end of the road, a side road was formed and extended about 1 mile southward which we called Cooper’s Road, because of the family who lived at its extreme south end, but it is properly named Montgomery Road [now called Tangimoana Road].
Near the foothills another road was later formed and extended north and reached round to the river ford opposite to the east end of Kimberley Road, and is known as Florida Road.
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