TE KAHA TO TUPAROA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2552, 13 July 1909, Page 3

TE KAHA TO TUPAROA.

' A CROod-GOUNTRY TRAMP. PROSPECTING FOR A TRACK. (By “Bushman.”) It may interest some of your readers to hear of the experiences of a party, who, with the intention of prospecting I for a possible road-line to connect To Kalu in the Bay of Plenty, with Tuparoa on the East Coast, over the shortest distance between these two places, formed the plan of walking over the range in mid-winter. Our party, being all East-Coasters, set out on the 26th June, to ride round the Coast. We travelled more or less speedily to the Waiapu river, which was quite fordable, and then experienced the delight of the Pakiakanui track in winter. Even in winter, however, though the difficulty of wading through the mud is considerable, the beauty of the roadside is worth going any distance to see. Where the bush has been felled on each side of the road there has now grown up a riot of different kinds of cabbage palms and tree-ferns. In a few years this will all be destroyed by devastating fires, when this fine country must' be cleared to make way for settlement. From an aesthetic point of view this is to be deplored, but on the other hand it will open the way to many industrious people with ■ capital. At present the land is practically locked up; it is being chopped at here and there, by the imitative but enterprising Native. Along this muddy but picturesque load we gaily floundered, and eventually arrived at Te Araroa township, where we were made welcome by Air Hawkins, and were treated with tlio greatest hospitality and kindness. Here at Te Araroa we have one of the finest of the many beautiful spots on the route; one sees the lovely gorge of the Awatere, and the wocjlcd hill. Wlietu Matanui stands up like a rampart behind the township. Botanically speaking, this is a most interesting place, but our party, although including two enthusiastic ; soi-disant botanists, were all stern business men, on business intent, so we could not stay to'browse. The following morning we rodo on to Hick’s Bay, and up the Waikohu river. There ivere eight of us in tho party, exclusive of two boys with pack horses, and Alessrs McMeakin find AVaitoa in charge of the commissariat, etc. The Waikohu river has to be crossed some ninety times, and at this time of the year., it is impossible to keep dry very long. The extent of good land lying idle, and in its native state, appeared to us to be a waste of the Dominion’s resources. The most dashing member of our party, whom we nick-named “The Thruster,” spent some of his superfluous energy in frying to shoot pigeons on the way, but lie had no great luck. No incident worth mentioning occurred until we reached the stretch of poor country lying towards Whangaparoa, when the enthusiasm of the two botanists was aroused by finding a difference in the vegetation from 'that lately passed, through, and they made themselves objectionable by their airs of superiority. This waste of poor land was beautiful to look upon, and we rode through lovely groups of shrubs and trees, arriving at Whangapaora about dark, where we were most hospitably entertained by Air and Airs Holt, who had ridden down from their home, on the Whangaparoa, to meet us. Air Holt, with his men, supplied us with unlimited horse-feed, made up beds of us in his new store, and entertained us royally. Our thanks are. also due to Air and Airs Gordon, who prepared an excellent dinner for us that night, and breakfast next morning, to which we did full justice. We went on our way about eight a.m., and again were charmed with the beauty of the Coast all the way to To Kaha, our next stopping place. I may here say that, although we all recognise that the suitable country for sheep-farming now lying idle in Native hands should be taken up, it will bo a scandal to the generation, and an irreparable loss to the later generations, if steps are not taken by the Government, to preserve certain headlands and wooded cliffs from being chopped and burnt by the Natives. Cape Runaway, for instance, and many other places on the way to Opotiki, between the road and the sea, are full of beauty. The party became somewhat scattered on this day: “The Thruster” and some of the would-be thrusters dashed ahead, intent on murdering pheasants and breaking records. The leader of our party, who was called the General in fme weather, and the Admiral when it was wet, rode steadily along in the rear, followed by the two botanists. The elderly botanist, having a griped horse, became pessimistic and gloomy, the younger one laying down the law on any point which occurred to him. However, the extreme beauty of the wooded headlands and little bays on route restored equanimity, and then enthusiasm was roused to screaming point by the discovery (so far as they were concerned) of some specimens of one of the rarest plants in New Zealand. in a piece of dense bush near the sea. The plant I refer to is the Giant Broom (Garmichae'ia Williamsii), discovered in that locality some years ago by the present'Bishop of Waiapu. There were two plants, five or six feet high, with a dozen smaller ones growing round them, one of the latter • was carefully taken up and placed in a saddle-bag, but it suffered in the subsequent journey. At Te Kaha we were well looked after by Mr Walker and his sons. Early next morning we proceeded to Opotiki, leaving the General behind with the pack-horses, to arrange for our start two days later over the Range. “The Thruster” and the other fast-goers disdaining the ferry at the Motu river, stripped off their clothes and unsaddled their horses and swam across, while the more staid went over in the boat. The arrival of the Waiapu Pakehas appeared to give great satisfaction to the Natives at Maraenui, who thought they must be millionaires in search of land. We passed on from here to Opotiki, “The Thruster” and his friends dashing well ahead into the town, which electrified the inhabitants, who appeared; unused to so much movement. The next day we hired a brake and four-in-hand, and accompanied by one of the leading citizens, we drove round the country- and visited one or two of the landowners in the neighborhood, “The Thruster” handling the team in, the most masterly manner. .Those of our party who are Waiapu County Councillors, then waited on the Opotiki County Councillors, and at an informal meeting, stated their views of tlie proposed road, and were most cordially received, and those Councillors of Opotiki who ivere able to attend the hurriedly convened meeting entirely approved of the scheme, especially that part of it which included the prospecting by the Waiapu Councillors ! We spent a- jovial evening at Mr Groome’s restaurant, in company with some of our Opotiki friends, and started off early next day and returned to Te Kaha,. stopping at Maraenui

en route, where we were most hospitably entertained by Air Saxb}* at luncheon. At Te Kaha, wo-found tho General ha*l mado all arrangements for a start in the morning. Alter a good night’s rest, we left early and rode eleven miles up the Koreu River, through fine, but rather steep, country. Leaving our horses in charge of Messrs. AlcMeakin and AVaitoa to return by the coast, we consigned ourselves to a two day’s tramp over the range, and having eight native porters with ns, we hoped to accomplish it in some comfort. Wo camped on the bank of the Arawhata stream that night, and then the incidents of the trip began. We made a hearty supper of Koura and liapuku baked in a liaangi, and dried our boots and socks, which were thoroughly soaked after walking a mile up stream. The next morning, each man carrying a swag, we began a four-hours’ climb up a hill at about an angle of 45 degrees. One of our party, having had his boots burned severely by one of the natives that morning (who had used them as firewood while preparing the breakfast) was able to recover a portion of the boots with the soles, and strapped them on his feet with dog-collars. He continued his two days’ tramp thus equipped, with the pluck and grit which distinguished him in an eminent degree, though his feet wero badly galled. Passing over Te Kaki ote Aloa we at last reached a stream (the name of which I forget), down which we went, through a narrow gorge of incomparable beauty, stoop, wooded hills of great height towering above US, HS Ave passed between two solid Avails of rock for about tAvo miles, dripping ferns and A'egetation meeting over our heads, till AA r e reached the ltaukokore River.

By thifc time it Avas raining heavily. AVe got to our camping place early, fortunately, and pitched camp as well as Ave could. The Thruster had shot a few pigeons, and the youngest member of our party here showed himself to be pretty good value, as he AA'ent into the riverbed and ran doAvn a fine young pig, caught him, and carried him in alive. This provided an excellent supper for the whole party, there being uoav seventeen of us, including the natives. That night it poured in torrents, and the river was flooded behind us. To keep our spirits up we played a mild game of poker and Avound up with a concert, which provided for each person providing his own song, in his own way, at his OAvn time. The discordant hoAvls Avhicli proceeded from that tent that evening must haA’c scared aivay every bird and animal for miles; in fact, it Avas noticeable the next day that no sign of bird life was to be seen or heard. At 5 a.m. it still poured with rain. The admiral’s orders Avero to remain in camp. The “Battler Avith the Burnt Boots” noAV caused some offence by ostentatiously shaving without a looking-glass, and bathing in tho flooded river. Ho was regarded Avith unfavorable eyes by tho rest of us, whoso ideas of cleanliness just then Avere of a more primitive kind. At 7 a.m., clear sky appearing, the admiral ordered us on, and on Ave Avent, gaily at first, to the accompaniment of the admiral’s voice raised in song, but after a five-hours’ ‘ climb, _ found ourselves on the Ranga-nui-atai, in a dense misty, soaking rain, and no track. Noav the fun began. On we Avent for some time, and after an hour’s Avalk the loader called a halt, and Ave harked back. Here a difference of opinion ■arose between ourselves and the native porters, who had their own views on tho matter of reaching our destination, and they struck out a line for themselves. The warbling of tho admiral noAV died away and Ave pounded AA'earily on. Though Ave were pakehas Ave did not call ourselves bushmen for nothing, and although the elder botanist became restrte and alluded to the Thruster and his friends as lunatics, he soon became humble, Avhen, after many turnings and windings, his younger confrere cleverly hit off the spot Ave had been aiming at, and from there piloted us through half a mile of solid bush in pitch darkness to the Pakihiroa clearing. By that time we were all wet through to the skin and dog-tired. How. CA r er, we struggled on for another two miles, and reached an iron-roofed hut, AA'liich Avas tenanted by tAvo splitters. Messrs. Larsen and Nielsen, Avho did everything they could for us. AVe were provided with AA'arm blankets, hot cocoa, and coffee, and a huge beefsteak pudding, and after a good meal avg slept the sleep of tired men. Larsen and Neilsen sat up all night and dried all our clothes, and treated us royally. Anyone Avho knoAVs what it is to be benighted after a tAvelve hours’ tramp, without any food betAveen 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on the top of the Rau Kumera range in a heavy nor’wester in midAvintor will thoroughly appreciate our feelings. The next morning horses were sent up to us from Pakihiroa Station and avo rode doAvn to Mr. AVicksteed’s homestead, Avhero. after a good luncheon, avc dispersed to our homes, the admiral remaining behind to collect our Maori pack-carriers, if they came out alive. As they had all our tents and food, and had acted on their oavh responsibility in taking a different track, we didn’t feel much concerned about them. They eventually turned up at 10 a.m., very cold and Avct and Aveary_, at the same iron hut, and Avere Avarmed and fed by Messrs Larsen and Nielsen. Tho last day of our expedition was decidedly a tiring one, and the rain, fog, and general discomfort, prcA'cnted our being able to make a very good survey of the surroundings, hut that part of the Kiinu block, on the .right bank of the ltaukokore, is eminently suitable. for sheep _ country, though at present inaccessible. The road lino, for Avhicli avo Avere prospecting is' evidently not only practicable, but seems to present no engineering difficulties, and it is mere]y ii question of comparatively small expenditure to* connect Tuparoa Avith To Kaha. and turn a three day’s journey into a one day’s journey, besides opening up a lot of good sheep country at present absolutel- inaccessible. 1