Story: Northland region
For many years the region was known as the ‘roadless north’. In 1917 local politician Alan Bell drew attention to the need for more roads suitable for motorcars by organising a road tour for 25 MPs, 70 businessmen and 15 journalists. The heavily publicised tour, which proceeded from Auckland through Whāngārei, Mangōnui, Kaitāia and Hokianga, encountered dire conditions. Bell would certainly have made his point: rain made the roads particularly bad, and shovels and ropes were required to pull cars from knee-deep mud at times.
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