A NORTH ISLAND IDYL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2026, 22 December 1892, Page 22

A NORTH ISLAND IDYL.

A TRIP UP THE WAIHOU KIVER.

Specially Written for the Witness Christmas

Number of 189 S.

By M. A. SINCLAIR.

A trip by the steamer Pataki to Te Aroha from the Thames on a bright spring day is calculated to leave a life-long impression on the mind of anyone blessed with a poetic temperament. On a recent occasion we first crosßed the waters of the Hauraki Gulf, obtaining a good view of the once famous gold-mining township on its shores as we etearaed away from it, its background of bush-clad hills showing' dark and freshlooking in the morning light, whi'e the suburban villas embowered in peach and weeping willow groves between their base and the township, stood out in bold relief.

So calm was the water that we scarcely perceived any increase of motion while crossing the bar, though a breeze was blowing in from the sea ; and wo were soon steaming up the rather shallow, though moderately' wide, flax-bordered Ohinemuri river, its mud bankß in many parts being in unpleasant proximity to our little craft, requiring care and attention on the part of our skipper to avoid running aground, which would have occasioned a delay of several hours, as the tide wa3 ebbing. Escaping this threatened calamity, we glided past the swamps of Phormium tenax, with here and there clumps of feathery tol tois waving in the wind, cabbage trees bursting into bloom, and a few young weeping willows fringing with tender green the river bank. We overtook and were hauled-to by the Ruby, which was lying at the small Hikutia landing discharging grain and stores for the farm and the solitary hotel, visible at some distance up the rural road. Here a party of surveyors disembarked from our boat, detaining us a few minutes while they colleoted their very numerous and scattered belongings. After seeing them on shore via the Ruby's deck, we let go and continued our course up stream, said stream becoming more circuitous and charming with each succeeding mile, until under the shadow of umbrageous trees we again stopped at Te Puke to land one or two passengers. On going ahead once more a few revolutions of the paddle wheels brought us into the gleamy, deep-flowing current of the Waihou river, which abruptly branches off from the Ohinemuri at this place, locally known as the Junction. Lovely, serpentine Waihou, could memory but faintly transcribe thy varied charms of bank and stream what a picture they would make I The first bend is a gradual symmetrical curve, the water being visibly deeper and the current more rapid than that of the Ohinemuri, and consequently much narrower. On both banks at] this entrance of the Waihou, weeping willows hang their negligently graceful tresses over the water, oftentimes dipping them into the cool bright tide. Still further on these are superseded by thickets of stiff hardy titree, forming a dense shrubbery, adjoining is a clump of yoang cabbage trees, their heavy, remarkable bloom branches, but half unfolded, opening in various degrees of beauty, and overhanging the tufty tops. A sudden break in the luxuriant growth gives us a glimpse of a long, level stretch of country, naturally even enough to suggest cricket and croquet, a distant hedge of bush trees offering by their olive-green hue marked contrast to the short sunbrowned grass on the plain.

The vegetation reappeared as suddenly as it left, clothing the steep bank and drooping o'er the stream.

A patch of New Zealand bush of irregular growth and in varied stages. Here an

ancient forest giant, emblem of prostrata mightiness, devoid of natural verdure, but in its stead garlanded with innumerable vines ; there plants of a season's growth ; while anon we see tall, ahapely-branohed tress or bleached stems tow9ring high and supporting numberless clingiDg parasites, emblematical of the marriage of Life and Death.

This tangled glade is succeeded by a tract so vernal and charming as to recall thoughts of the

Wood nymph's lone secure retreat Unpressed by fawn or Bylvan's feet.

It again gives place to a grove of snowblossomed cherry trees, interspersed with those loveliest of Nature's children, suggestive of Orient climes and spice-laden breezes, the feathery palm-leaf fern, while down tha banks of the stream and entwining with favoured freedom the upright tree stems trailed or clang caressingly the dainty fragile eglantine, its pink petals wafted by the gentle breeze to the bosom of the Waihou and our steamer's deck. Lone, lovely spot, few fairer homes could be supposed for th *

..e Genius of woodland shades, whose mild control . Steals with resistless witchery o'er the sonl. Tbe brooding calm, broken by the not unmafcioal swash of the paddle wheels in the swift current, as with due care and precaution our good little Pataki was steered round the innumerable bends of this serpentine stream, many of them so abrupt and sudden as to lead to the supposition that a final terminus, preventing further progresi, bad been reached, but after delivering a modified electrio shock to her passengers by running deliberately aground the little steamer would slowly answer her helm,, swing round again into midstream— the^ river often measuring little more than 30!fc across— and turn np the opposite direction. Occasionally the banks were enlivened by the sight of flocks of sheep and frisking lambs, Oorydon and Phyllis alone being wanted to complete the pastoral. Troops of horses, droves of wild pigs, a few cattle peacefully browsing the short herbage in tarn gave for a short distance an animated appearance to the country. But speedily again Bilent copses, open gladeß, bush tracks as before, with the übiquitous willow fringing the banks, again met our view.

Here and there an old patriarchal forest tree by the singing, impetuous stream seemed typical of man having reached the allottee? three score and ten years — BtationaTy, sadbrowed, reflective, while time, like the age<defying river, still flow's on its onward course, brightly, merrily, fraught with gladness to other springing, opening lives. Beautiful grey white sand banks contrasted admirably with the overshadowing green and the placid surface of the sky-reflecting rive^ While from time to time we caught a pic« turesque glimpse of the conical To Aroha, looming purple in the distance through a vista of bush trees, or across a stretch of level country, towering over all adjacent height*. Towards the sunset hour, while rounding 9^ bend, we (to slightly alter the poet's lines), Knew by the smoke that so gracefully curlftl Toward the calm eveningsky That Te Aroha was near. And shortly afterwards we disembarked to abide under the shadow of the mountain and not unfrequently return to wander 0' the banks of the Waihou river.