The contemporary agricultural pattern of the sand country of the west coast of the North Island between the Whangaehu River and Paekakariki

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the contemporary agricultural pattern of the sand country of the west coast of the North Island, between the Whangaehu River in the north and Paekakariki in the south. To aid this examination the work is divided into stages. The first of these is the consideration of the physical basis on which the agricultural pattern is built and the emphasis is on the suitability of the various aspects of this physical base for agriculture. The second stage is an examination of the processes involved in the development of the sand country for agriculture. The third stage is to examine the contemporary agricultural pattern in terms of land use and land values, and to note whether there is any correlation between these two aspects. The final stage is to consider the land tenure of the sand country, with particular reference to land use and land value. After the overall contemporary pattern has been examined, the role of plantations, as the most important method of stabilizing the foredune and parts of the immature strip of the coastal area, is examined. Finally, the role of the beach settlements of the sand country, and the effects of the rapidly expanding ones in causing some agricultural land to remain undeveloped, is discussed