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Title: The first ascent of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand, and a holiday jaunt to Mounts Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe
Author: Beetham, George
Published: Harrison and Sons, London, 1926
MOUNTS RUAPEHU AND NGAURI'HOE. I Frontispiece]
THE FIRST ASCENT OF MOUNT RUAPEHU, NEW ZEALAND, AND A HOLIDAY JAUNT TO MOUNTS RUAPEHU, TONGARIRO, AND NGAURUHOE.
(PRIVATELY PRINTED.)
LONDON:
HARRISON and SONS, LTD.,
Printers in Ordinary to His Majesty,
1926.
PREFACE.
The late George Beetham, F.R.G.S., of Wellington and Wairarapa, made his first exploration of Mount Ruapehu in March, 1878; as New Zealand is the antipodes of Great Britain the seasons are six months apart; therefore, March, in New Zealand, is an autumn month, and a suitable time for climbing the mountains.
In those days, nearly half a century ago, travel facilities in the interior of the North Island were not good; wars by the Maoris had retarded the development of settlement by the whiteman, and consequently the construction of good roads.
Mr. Beetham was disappointed in not having his friend, Mr. Birch, a resident of the Taupo district, to accompany him, but with courageous resolution he went on to a high, rough mountain that was quite unknown to him, accompanied only by a labouring man, and neither of them were properly equipped for work on frozen snow and ice.
Of this exploration Mr. Beetham left some notes, and his widow, having found these and realizing the importance of recording pioneer work in a new country, has decided to print them —primarily for the information of their relatives and friends.
In 1879, Mr. George Beetham, accompanied by Mr. Joseph Prime Maxwell, Civil Engineer, of Wellington, made a complete ascent of Mount Ruapehu, and, reaching its summit, crossed the large southern glacier, and made a close examination of the hot lake that is in the great ice plateau, the existence of which had not been previously recorded.
Following the account of Mr. Beetham's exploration in 1878 are some particulars of the ascent of 1879, which are given by Mr. Maxwell.
It is recorded that Mrs. Birch, of Erehwon Sheep Station, was the first white woman to climb to the summit of Mount Ruapehu.
In March, 1892, Mr. George Beetham organized a holiday jaunt to the volcanic mountains of the Taupo district, when the party, comprising himself, his wife, his niece Miss Hilda Temple Williams, Mr. Martin Chapman and Dr. Albert Martin, ascended Mounts Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe. Mrs. Beetham and Miss Hilda Williams were the first two white women to make the ascent of Mount Ngauruhoe, probably the very first women, as although Maoris had resided in the vicinity of its base for many centuries, the disposition of Maori ladies does not prompt them to undertake rigorous exercise for the purpose of gratifying a whim, attaining an ambition, or enjoying a view of superb scenery. Another thing, the condition of the average Maori lady is somewhat against high climbing. The party afterwards rode from Tokaanu to Taumaranui, whence they took a Maori canoe to Wanganui, a water trip of four days down the seething rapids of the most picturesque river in the world.
In a very interesting letter to her father, Mrs. Beetham records some of the incidents and adventures of this trip.
INTRODUCTION.
The volcanic mountains of Ruapehu, 9,175 feet, Tongariro, 6,458 feet, Ngauruhoe, 7,515 feet, are situated in the Tongariro National Park in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand. The land that comprised the original park was a gift from an old-time Maori chief, named Te Heu Heu Herekeikei, a man of immense stature who maintained five wives and who resided at the village of Waihi on the shore of Lake Taupo. A land-slide buried the village and its occupants, but the tribe recovered the bones of their revered chief and placed them to rest in a wahi-tapu, or Maori sepulchre, on the slopes of Mount Tongariro.
The land, as land for agricultural or pastoral purposes, is of poor quality, comprising to a large extent ejecta from the volcanoes ; from a scenic point of view, however, the mountains are very fine, and when in action, Ngauruhoe is awe-inspiring ; they are also interesting to the geologist and the botanist. The Government has increased the area of the park by the inclusion of fairly considerable areas of Crown lands.
Mount Ruapehu has large glaciers on its east, west, and southern slopes, and these are the only permanent ice rivers in the North Island. The main one on the summit is nearly a mile in width. One of these glaciers, at an elevation of about 8,500 feet, is somewhat remarkable owing to its situation in an old crater, and from the fact that it contains a lakelet of sulphur-impreg-nated water which at times boils to, such an extent that it emits clouds of steam and sometimes ejects mud. At other times its temperature is so low that hunks of ice float in it. This lakelet is circular in form, about 600 feet across, and its sides are over 100 feet in height. This semi-glacial thermal lake is believed to be one source of the Wangaehu River.
Mounts Tongariro and Ngauruhoe are figuratively saturated with Maori lore.
These two mountains were regarded by the Maori as being particularly sacred, and access to them was denied to the white man for many years after his advent to New Zealand. The late J. C. Bidwill is said to have been the first European to ascend Ngauruhoe, on the second of March, 1839. He was accompanied by two Maoris who had come with him from Tauranga ; the mountain was alive, and they were terrified at the rumblings and noises, but more particularly of its evil reputation, and declined to go nearer than a mile from its summit. Bidwill's ascent was made surreptitiously and thereby grievously offended the owners of the mountain. The Maoris declined to permit Dr. Dieffenbach to climb Tongariro in 1841, and at a later date,
George French Angas, Sir George Grey, Governor, and the famous German geologist, Hochstetter, were refused permission to do so. At the time of Dieffenbach's visit, the paramount chief Te Heu Heu was down Wanganui way with his warriors, settling a little score preparatory to his becoming a Christian convert; before his departure he placed a strong measure of tapu on Mount Tongariro—a truly pagan act.
Mount Ngauruhoe is named after a slave of that name who accompanied his master, a great chief, on a journey of exploration to the south from the region of the hot lakes at Rotorua. Coming in sight of a high cone-shaped mountain capped with snow the chief decided to ascend it so as to satisfy his curiosity and to spy out the adjacent lands. Now snow was unknown to these adventurers, and its cold cramped their bare feet and caused their bodies to shiver and shake. The chief, in alarm, shouted to his sisters who resided on the burning island of Whakaari Motu, White Island, in the Bay of Plenty, a hundred miles away, to send him some fire at once. The sisters of the chief were much perturbed and immediately despatched two taniwha, named Pupa and Te Haeta, by a subterranean passage with fire for the relief of their distressed brother and his slave. The fire arrived and burst forth from the top of the mountain in time to warm and thereby save the life of the chief, but alas, too late to prevent the slave from perishing with the unaccustomed cold. The chief, therefore, named the mountain Ngauruhoe, in honour of his loyal slave. Ngauruhoe has continued burning ever since this tragic event, and as the two taniwha, in their haste, dropped fire on their journey, this accounts, according to the Maori, for the volcanic and thermal activity along the line that extends from White Island to Ngauruhoe, which includes Mounts Edgecumbe and Tarawera, the thermal districts of Rotorua, Rotomahana, Waiotapu, Orakei-korako, Wairakei, Taupo, Tokaanu, and Mount Tongariro. There are two craters on Tongariro, Te Mari at 4,990 feet and the Red Crater at 6,140 feet. Far away to the west of Ruapehu stands a noble-looking isolated mountain,known to the Maori as Taranaki,but renamed by Cook, Egmont ; it is 8,280 feet in height and like Fujiyama in form, with a base line of thirty-four miles in circumference.
The Maori has a legend to account for its " splendid isolation " : —lt appears that at one time Taranaki stood " cheek by jowl " with Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro, on the sites now occupied by the twin lakes Nga-puna-o-tama. Now Tongariro was respectably married to a little mountain of 4,000 feet, named Pihanga ; she was fair to look upon and of serious mien. Taranaki, having no wife, was at times exuberantly flirtatious and began frivolling with Pihanga, even going so far as to throw hot lava over her feet. Pihanga objected to this misbehaviour and complained to her husband ; Tongariro was somewhat jealous of the handsome appearance of Taranaki, so Pihanga's complaint caused his wrath to rise and boil over ; he rumbled, roared, shrieked and belched forth all sorts of molten muck on
to Taranaki, ending up by giving him a hoist on his southern aspect that caused his projection into the clouds and propulsion eighty miles away ; he dropped, fortunately for him, on the far distant edge of the fertile plains of Taranaki and just before reaching the Pacific Ocean.
There he stands alone, a monument to the power of Tongariro and an outcast from his family because of his own indiscretion and folly.
Mount Ruapehu is, by some scientists, regarded as being still alive, although not likely to erupt for many ages to come. Tongariro has occasional fits of activity, while Ngauruhoe has fairly regular outbursts, when it emits dense volumes of sulphur-laden vapour.
The flora in the vicinity of these mountains is fairly extensive, and comprises hard shrubs, veronica, celmisia, oleria, comprosma, gentiana, etc.
The native fauna is well represented in variety if not in numbers, and along with small birds embraces the kaka, kiwi, weka, titi, tui and kuku; of introduced animals there are wild horses on the plains and hares are plentiful; some axis deer were released on the foothills of Ruapehu, but they seem to have disappeared.
The Tongariro River is famous throughout the angling world for the large number of its huge rainbow trout.
The main trunk railway, from Wellington to Auckland, passes near to Ruapehu, and from one point both Ruapehu and the " disgraced " Taranaki can be seen at the same time.
Accommodation huts are now provided at the base of Ruapehu for the use of visitors, and ascents are made by large parties of men and women — winter sports are held on its lower slopes.
T. E. Donne.
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The following is a written account that was left by the late George Beetham of his first climb on the Volcanic mountain, Ruapehu :
During the month of March, 1878, I found myself for the first time for many years with a few weeks’ spare time at my disposal. Therefore, I determinded to gratify a wish that had taken possession of my mind for many years, to visit the volcanic district of Ruapehu and Tongariro. I had previously made arrangements to accompany Mr. W. Birch to his station, Erewhon, in the Upper Patea District, he had promised to ascend Mount Ruapehu with me. However, business at Masterton prevented me keeping the appointment, and on my arrival at Hastings, Hawkes Bay, I found that he had started on his journey inland on the very morning of my arrival. I was naturally disappointed at thus missing my friend and guide, but decided to follow him. Before starting, however, I visited Napier to provide myself with the sinews of war in the way of money, and to secure the necessary outfit —waterproof, blanket, etc. I had the advantage also, while at Napier, of receiving some excellent advice from my brother Richmond, who, during his residence at Queenstown, Otago, had had many opportunities of ascertaining the difficulties of travelling in high latitudes, and who, in passing from Queenstown over the high mountains to Martin’s Bay, had to contend with perhaps more snow and ice than I was likely to experience on Mount Ruapehu, in the warmer climate of the Northern Island.
I left Hastings on Sunday, the 17th March, and reached Matapiro, Mr. Shrimpton’s sheep station, about half-past seven p.m. the same night, one of the hottest I have felt in New Zealand. Mr. Shrimpton informed me in respect of the route I had to pursue in order to reach Erewhon, in such a lucid manner that I had not the slightest difficulty in finding the way. The next morning I left Matapiro about seven a.m., and for the first ten miles got along very pleasantly—the road passing through comparatively level country until I reached the Iron Sheds. These sheds are used as a depot by Messrs. Birch & Moorhouse, and here their system of transport changes—the string of pack-horses giving place to wheel conveyances ; the price paid for carriage from this point being 60s. per ton. Leaving the Iron Sheds, the road passes over broken country, high limestone ridges interspersed with small valleys and hills, until the Ngaruroro Gorge is reached, about 24 mile
from Matapiro, where, as one descends from the high range, a pretty flat of about 100 acres is seen below, looking, with its level surface and green growth of high grass, as if Nature intended it as a resting-place for man and beast. This place, Kuripapanga, is a halt for the pack-horse trains, and two raupo whares have been built there to shelter travellers.
The Ngaruroro is here a rapid, picturesque river, running through steep gorges at either end of the flat—the bed of the river is comprised of a hard, slatey rock in staircase form, that causes the river to rush downwards in a series of rapids—the sound and appearance of the water was, on the hot day, very refreshing. I lunched here and rested my horse for an hour and a-half before recommencing my journey. After crossing the river I had a most tiring climb out of the valley, by a zig-zag track cut up the face of a steep hill that bears the name of Gentle Annie—l cannot imagine why such a sweet name should be given to such an uninteresting hill!
About six miles of ups and downs brought me to the Taruarau—a branch of the Ngaruroro, a river that, like the latter, runs through the most broken country that it has yet been my lot to travel over. Both these streams have by some means forced a channel through the backbone of the North Island, and drain the northern slope of the Kaweka Range (a continuation of the Ruahine and Tararua mountains), and the southeastern slopes of the Kaimanawa Ranges. The Taruarau River runs from, and is for some distance, the boundary of Mr. Studholme's run, Ohauku.
When ascending the spur leading to the upper plateau country of Patea, I was surprised to find the Taruarau running to the eastward on my right and to the west on my left—the river seeming to be retracing its course for the pleasure of piercing the end of the Ruahine Ranges instead of taking its natural course through low country to the eastward and joining the Xgaruroro River. This eccentric course seems to be taken by most of the rivers in the high central regions of the North Island, the Moawhanga, Rangitikei, Wanganui, and several others being cases in point—perhaps the violent earthquakes during the period of volcanic eruptions may be answerable for such a state of things. It was a great relief for both myself and horse to reach the plateau of Ohauku, the watershed of the Rangitikei River which runs into Cook's Straits, and the Ngaruroro and Taruarau Rivers, which run into Hawkes Bay on the east coast of the Island.
I had now reached a different class of country altogether; looking west and north, fine rolling downs met the eye, covered with tussock grass, and here and there patches of growing flax {phormium Unax). This pastoral country is bounded on the east by the Kaweka, north by the Kaimanawa, and south-east by the Ruahine Mountains—comparatively low-wooded country, through which run the Rangitikei and Wangaehu Rivers and forming the boundary of the clear open country to the south-west. I soon came to a mark for which I was told to look, namely, a very primitive post-
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office, which comprised a kerosene tin stuck on a post. At this point, the road branches off to Mr. Studholme's station and Renata's run on the banks of the Rangitikei River. In conformity with my directions, I took the track leading to south-west, and a pleasant ride of about nine miles brought me to the banks of the Rangitikei—a very picturesque river flowing over dark boulders of a slatey rock ; I was much surprised with the volume of water that was running over the ford. The bed of the river seemed to me here to contain more water than it did when crossing the shingle bed from 80 to 100 miles lower down the river, and after it has received the water from several affluents, the Moawhango and several other streams of considerable volume. I here found two men in difficulties. They had succeeded in getting a number of merino rams on to an island of shingle in the middle of the river, but from there they would neither go backwards nor forwards. However, with the assistance of myself and horse the sheep were driven across the river, although not until darkness had covered the face of the water.
Four miles journeying from the river and following the dray track, for it was now quite dark, brought me to Mr. Birch's shearing station, where I was very hospitably received by Mr. Berkely, the Manager, and soon forgot the weariness consequent on a ride of fifty-seven miles over rough and hilly country.
The next day, Mr. Berkely accompanied me to call on my friend, Mr. Birch, who was at another homestead, perched on a very pretty hill-top near a kowhai bush, from which an extensive view was enjoyed. In the afternoon, I rode with Mr. Birch to visit some Maoris living at a pa built on the banks of the Moawhango River ; this river is one of the boundaries of the Erewhon run. At this Kainga (Maori village) I saw what Maori energy can do, for the Maoris pointed out, with pardonable pride, two large millstones that they had managed to convey to their Kainga over the road that I had found the day previous quite enough difficulty to pass over on horseback. There is a very nice piece of flat country on each side of the Moawhango at this point, and I was glad to see that the natives were making preparations, by fencing and ploughing, to grow wheat in quantities sufficient to bring grist to the mill, which, by-the-by, has yet to be erected, and will be worked by water-power, a plentiful supply being available. The natives in this Kainga are a branch of the Ngatitaina tribe; they lost some men in the war, being killed by a party under direction of Te Kooti. Apropos of this warlike subject, I could not help admiring the pluck shown by Mr. Birch and most of his men, who stuck to their posts through the whole of the war—with the likelihood of Te Kooti making a descent upon them at any time. I spent this evening with Messrs. Birch and Berkely at their shearing station, and, to my regret, owing to Mr. Berkely's cottage being so overcrowded, my host, Mr. Birch, insisted on " dossing down " before the fire,
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wrapped only in a rug and generously giving up to his visitors the available sleeping accommodation.
We started early next morning to the out-station on the Kaimanawa Ranges in company with Mr. Birch and a man named Michael Ruddy, who was detailed by Mr. Berkely to be my attendant. I was also provided with a fresh horse for myself, a pack-horse, and a horse for " Micky," with a tent, cooking utensils, blankets, and food sufficient to last us for seven or eight days. Before reaching Kaimanawa we passed over a pretty valley, which Mr. Birch utilizes as a cattle and pack-horse run, and then began the ascent of the Kaimanawa Range by a very steep sledge track, used for bringing timber from the terraces on the ranges. In climbing this, I thought that if Ruapehu is anything like this I should be more pleasantly employed in travelling in less elevated regions. However, we had a very pleasant run from the long stretch of terrace-land which extends for some miles, covered for the most part with snow and tussock grasses, with here and there, in sheltered valleys, good sheep feed.
From this high land we had a good view of Mounts Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe and the high lands towards the west coast. We camped at sun-down by one of Mr. Birch’s out-stations, Mr. Birch sharing the tent with me.
About nine a.m. we packed up and started, Mr. Birch accompanying me for some distance to point out the road across the " desert,” and then leaving me to attend to his mustering and sheep work. I regretted his departure very much, for I had long looked forward to the pleasure of the journey with him, and another reason was that I felt rather like a poacher attempting Ruapehu, I being a manuhiri (visitor), without the countenance of one of the old settlers in the district.
I reached the Wangaehu River about noon, and was much surprised to see the colour of the water, which was just like milk, but the taste was far different. I should liken it to sour sulphurous sea water. The horses were thirsty, but would not touch it.
[Note. —The waters of the Whangaehu River are so strongly impregnated with sulphur that fish cannot live in them.]
The Wangaehu River bounds the Onetapu Desert. From this point, looking towards Ruapehu, I fancied I could distinguish a waterfall quite up in the region of snow. As I rode forward, it just looked like a band of snow laid vertically on the mountain-side, but watching it carefully I could see it sometimes changed its position, but not being sure, I made up my mind to journey towards it, to satisfy my curiosity. About an hour took us across the desert to the point where the Wangaehu emerged from the lava beds and spurs of ashes, and other volcanic ejecta that cover the slopes of Ruapehu. This, I imagine, is the point mentioned by Mr. J. C. Crawford in his description of his journey, where he mentions reaching a rock
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from which flows on one side the Wangaehu and the other Waikato Rivers, but subsequent exploration showed me that the point alluded to by the Maoris in their traditions was at least 4,000 feet higher up the mountain, and distant probably five miles from where we were. We had lunch and, tying up our horses to some huge fragments of lava rock, we started up the bed of the stream, climbing over trachyte boulders and lava, and in our progress passing some very picturesque falls formed by the Wangaehu River, crossing over from side to side of the different lava beds, leaping from the jagged edges into the most curiously shaped pools—in some places washing out caverns under the lava by carrying away the loose calcined ashes covered by the lava in its passage from the crater down the mountain side. This was my first introduction to a volcanic region, and I was exceedingly interested in all that I saw ; the huge blocks of trachyte—the peculiar shape of the lava beds —in many cases much wider at the top of the bed than the bottom, evidently showing that at the time of eruption the streams of molten matter had taken the channels of the water in their course down the mountain. Then, when consolidated, the water from the melting snows had in its turn washed out new courses, attacking its usurper in flank and underneath, and pouring across it, attempting, by the ceaseless wearing action, to revenge itself. But the hard metallic rock seems to rear its magnificent crags in defiance of water and weather, and will do so, I should say, for countless ages to come.
In some places I noticed that at the termination of the flow of lava the molten mass had, as it gradually cooled in rolling onward, solidified in the form of a gigantic whorl, the thin circular end being in some cases pressed against the side of a mass of trachyte boulders and ashes that the molten mass had not body enough to overcome.
We followed the course of the torrent for about two hours, when " Micky " very wisely reminded me that we had not yet fixed on our place for camping, and that the sun was getting low. Recognizing the necessity of making provision for the night, I reluctantly commenced to retrace my steps down the ravine without reaching the goal I was striving for—the Wangaehu Fall—which I could see from the position of the gorge whence it flows was yet some two miles distant—two rough miles that would have taken us nearly two hours to travel. We found our horses as we had left them, and at once started for the northern slopes of the range, journeying over the cinder spurs with here and there a lava bed, but although the northern spur always appeared to be but a short distance off it seemed to vanish as we proceeded, and when at last we attained what all along was the spur we wished to reach, it proved to be not the northen spur but the leading ridge between the Wangaehu and the Waikato Rivers, and at least six miles from our wished-for haven. To add to our troubles and disappointment the rain began to fall, accompanied by a strong, cold breeze from the mountain. I looked round
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for some friendly shelter for ourselves and horses, but not a bush, tree, or a blade of grass was to be seen, except in the distance, an oasis on the plain, that had caught my eye when we were higher up on the mountain. I could plainly see that our only chance of shelter was to make for the bush, about eight miles off ; we thereupon descended as rapidly as possible, the rain keeping us company and settling down to a general downpour. We reached the bush some time after daylight had disappeared, but fortunately for us the moon gave a shrouded light through the clouds and rain, or we should have had to camp out without shelter or feed for our horses.
We, however, forgot all these inconveniences after we had pitched our camp and enjoyed a cup of tea ; covering some of the moss, which grows very plentifully in those high latitudes, with my waterproof blanket, made a very comfortable bed. " Micky " was weary and soon slept, but I was so much disturbed at the ceaseless patter on the tent that I could not sleep. I knew that it was the first rain that had fallen for some months, and I realized that all chance of an ascent was over for the time being, as the new fall of snow would hide the crevasses and other dangerous places.
The morning broke, fortunately for me, upon a comparatively clear sky, but with the summit of the mountain covered with clouds. I therefore made up my mind not to attempt the ascent that day, but to finish my exploration of the Wangaehu Valley—having come to the conclusion the preceding day that the Wangaehu ran from the lip of the extinct crater of Ruapehu, an assumption that I afterwards found to be correct.
Taking advantage of the knowledge of the eastern slope of the mountain, acquired on the previous day, we rode our horses well up the leading spurs between the two rivers to a point that brought us nearly to the snow-line, just below the rock always talked of by the Maoris, that divides the Wangaehu and Waikato Rivers. Here we came upon a very picturesque waterfall coming from the snowfields over lava and trachyte cliffs into the Waikato Valley which, for some distance, extends to the southward, draining the greater part of the north-eastern slopes of the mountain—the Wangaehu draining the south-eastern slopes.
I could not see the fall as distinctly as I wished because the cliff on which I was standing overhung the point from which the water leaps, but I could, of course, hear it rushing down the mountain side with great force.
From this cliff, with " Micky's" assistance, I dislodged some huge fragments of lava and sent them hurtling into the abyss below, the metallic crash they made on reaching the bottom echoing from cliff to cliff with great effect.
We attempted to reach the central peak of the mountain, but were met by a strong south-west gale and snowstorm, or rather sleet, for the snow cut like pins and needles, and I found that it was impossible to face it, and therefore we returned to camp, reaching the tent about five o'clock.
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As each morning that I had seen Mount Ruapehu, its top became covered with dense mist about ten o’clock, I decided to start from camp before daylight so as to reach the base of the mountain as early as possible. As it was necessary that one of us should wake early I slept with one eye open and we managed to rise, get our horses saddled, our breakfast eaten, and make a start from the camp before daylight. By seven o’clock we reached the highest point that horses could carry us, and there leaving our horses, each with a bag of grass that we had gathered on our way, we started for the summit. At first it was very tiring work walking on the soft, moving ashes and climbing up the rocks, but on reaching a certain height above the commencement of the snowline, we came upon a sheet of ice, the rain or sleet of the night before having frozen, where no footing could be found; we had to cut steps to enable us to hold on and continue our ascent. Here my man " Micky ” having slipped, and finding that having started he could with great difficulty only stop himself by clutching at the rocks, got very much alarmed and wished to turn back, but I was determined to push on, if I had to chop out every footstep, and after a considerable amount of labour we reached the level of the snowfield. Above the field was a glittering sheet of ice as slippery as glass. After admiring the view over the whole country we opened a tin of sardines and had lunch under the shelter of a rock. Rather an unfortunate accident here befell us, for after opening the sardine tin with my tomahawk, I laid it down, as I thought, on a level piece of ice, but away the confounded thing slipped as if it had been endowed with life and disappeared over the icefield to the north. This rather startled me —and " Micky ” still more. I thought I would then try and see if it were possible to reach the southern point, and with that object tied a horse's tether rope to “ Micky ” and myself, but directly I tightened the rope on my onward journey over the icefield, down went “Micky,” and nothing would induce him to venture further, rope or no rope ! However, without the tomahawk we could not have gone many yards, as the snowfields proved to be separated from the leading ridge by apparently unapproachable crevasses, and with the means at our disposal we could not cross them. Taking this into consideration, and also the dangerous surfaces of the frozen snowfields, I thought it wiser to turn back after I had tried forcing the sardine tin in a crevice of the rock and, cutting a hole through it, stuck up my alpenstock with a flag attached. In fastening the flag to the stick, using the sardine tin as a hammer, I took some nails out of my pocket, but directly I put them down on the ice they were frozen to it so firmly that I could not pick them up again. I had put my knife down on a rock while I fastened the flag, and on looking round I found that my knife was gone. I suppose the wind must have moved it, and directly afterwards I heard Micky calling out something, but as the wind was now blowing very strongly I could not hear what he said, nor could he hear me answer. He plucked up courage and came to the summit with my knife in his hand ;
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it had fortunately rolled into a crevasse and slid to the spot where we first reached the icefield. This mysterious disappearance of tomahawk and knife, and the peculiar mournful roaring of the wind that was bringing heavy clouds over the mountain, made me wish to be off the ice and again down the mountain-side, and “ Micky ” was particularly anxious to leave such a weird and mysterious place.
We reached the horses without any mishap, but I nearly had a misadventure by foolishly taking a snow slope as a pathway instead of clambering over the rocks as " Micky " very wisely did. I was tempted by a quantity of loose snow that permitted me to slowly progress downhill, my feet sinking in the snow, and I ventured on this easy path that might have led to my destruction, for the layer of snow got thinner and at length I slipped, and if I had lost my presence of mind I should not have been here to tell this tale, but I kept my hands flat on the snow and kept my heels down as well as I could and was brought up by my hands accumulating a quantity of snow under my coat. After that I made to the side of the snow-slide and clambered over the rocks quite contentedly.
The journey down the mountain was not so difficult as I expected, as when we reached the lower levels the sun, which at one o'clock seemed to have considerable power, had, where the ice was thin, thawed it so much that our heels went through it and gave us a good foothold on the rocks and ashes. The northern peak itself was, on our ascent, a magnificent sight, being covered with the most splendid icicles that I have either seen or imagined. It was the first time that I had been able to realize what an Arctic winter must be ; the icicles glistening in the sun and the fact of all the rocks being covered with a sheet of ice made it appear as if a river was flowing like a cascade over the rocks, and, glistening in the sunlight, the effect was marvellously beautiful. Had we attempted the ascent later in the day we should not have had so much ice to contend with, but I had been nervous that we should lose the view, and perhaps also our way in returning. The view we had from the summit was also inexpressibly fine and grand. The outline of the crater of Ngauruhoe looked quite dwarfed below us, and we could see the steam issuing from it and condensing in the cold air. Lake Taupo to the east and the Tongariro River, the Kaimanawa and Ruahine Ranges to the east and south, the Muruwhi Plain and the Ngaehu Valley to the south-west, the source of the Wanganui River to the north, and the peak of the Ngauruhoe towering above its clouds, were all mirrored beneath us with great distinctness, but, as heavy banks of clouds were over the coastline towards Wanganui and also the lowlands at Napier, we did not catch a glimpse of the sea.
We descended to our horses and then rode to camp.
Next morning, Sunday, I arose thoroughly refreshed by my night’s rest, and took a pleasant bath in the icy-cold water of the Ohinepango stream.
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Having packed our camp equipage, we started about nine for Tokaanu, on the return journey. On looking out for the road, I was surprised to find that it crossed the creek only about 200 yards lower down, so that the site I had chosen for my camp, which I thought to be a mile at least from any path, was so close to the road that our camp might have been easily observed by passers-by had we left a fire burning during our absence. A ride of about half a mile brought us to the Waihoharai stream, which, with its neighbour, the Ohinepango, drained the land lying between Ruapehu and Tongariro ; these streams have a great flow of water, and their beds are filled with trachyte boulders, over which the water rushes with great force. There is a Maori whare at this spot, and it is the usual camping place for tourists passing through the district, there being plenty of wood, water, and food for horses. Between this whare and Pouto, the first Maori settlement on the way to Tokaanu, there are an infinite number of similar streams to those already spoken of, but placed at the bottoms of steep ravines, which necessitated unpleasant descents and ascents, until the eastern slope of Ngauruhoe is rounded and Lake Roto-Aira comes into view ; this is a very lovely sheet of water lying between Pihanga and Ngauruhoe, and there also seemed to be a sprinkling of grass soil in its neighbourhood, the first sign of it I had seen for some time. At the point where the stream leaves the lake there is situated on an eminence the settlement of Pouto, a spot chosen during the war with Te Kooti as a station for some members of the British Defence Force, whose two redoubts are still seen, though in a very dilapidated condition. Here we made the acquaintance of Topia's two wives, who made us a very acceptable lunch that was served by two damsels, one of whom, named Puna Quill, charmed me with her vivacity and smartness. The road leaving Pouto continues on the slope of Pihanga, the upper slopes of which are covered with a fine bush consisting of Totara, Rewa-rewa and White Pine, which indicates good soil, but the road passed over nothing but pumice land, overgrown with fern. On nearer acquaintance I was very much disappointed with this valley, as from the summit of Ruapehu it appeared to be fertile, but on closer inspection I found it almost worthless for pastoral purposes.
A little soil and its usual concomitant of English grass appeared as we neared Tokaanu, with its justly famed hot springs gushing up on every side. As one reaches the pa one passes over a peculiar kind of road that sounds ominously hollow when struck by the horses' feet, and this mysterious sound with the springs bursting forth on each side gives a traveller a feeling of alarming insecurity. I was glad to give the horses in charge of the landlord, a Mr. Axford, who was once, he told me, educated for a surgeon, but now he keeps the Tokaanu Hotel, with the assistance of a Maori wife. After getting rid of the horses, I was very soon enjoying the luxury of swimming in a warm pool in company with a great number of natives, who spend a great
24
deal of their time in bathing. The bath most used is an almost circular basin formed by the gradual deposition of silica previously held in solution by the water of the springs. The bath used has no connection with the subterranean reservoir that supplies the numerous springs with their intermittent supply of boiling water, but receives its supply from the upper basin, which appears to overflow about three times in the 24 hours. I suppose the periodical flow is caused, not by the moon's influence or any connection with the tidal system, as is commonly supposed by many, but by the gradual accumulation of steam in the caverns beneath which, when it attains a sufficient power, forces for itself a vent through the boiling water, taking a quantity of water with it. One of the geysers during my stay kept discharging water and steam with great force, and my first night at Tokaanu was spent—at any rate, the greater part of it—away from the fleas of the Tokaanu Hotel, either bathing or wandering about in the bright moonlight amongst Nature's very wonderful works. The hollow booming sound produced by the water as it rushes up intermittently is a most weird and infernal sound. In some quarters the belief is expressed that the " fire " which causes these waters to boil comes from " Hades," and the natives also seem to have acquired some such idea, for in the event of any accident happening and causing death they say that the sufferer was taken by " the old man below " (" Old Nick "). I was told of several accidents that had happened during the last few years, one being a man belonging to the Defence Force, who was returning from some post with despatches when his horse shied suddenly and threw both himself and rider into one of the boiling pools, and my informant remarked he was " non compos mentis " in a moment. I should say he must have been, and probably without life, too, as my informant doubtless desired to inform me.
My host kindly took me to see the famous petrifying puia or " putrifying buia" as it is sometimes called. (A puia being Maori for a fumarole, and "buia "is a mis-pronunciation of the word.) Axford, against the wish of his cook, took him to see this spring, and he, treading carelessly, succeeded in putting his leg into a boiling mud-hole and very narrowly escaped with his life ; for four months he never moved from his bed. These stories made me very watchful and careful, and I never wandered amongst the boiling springs without providing myself with a good stout staff with which I duly prodded any doubtful ground.
The day after my arrival, I visited Waihi, where there is a magnificent water-fall, the water falling probably 130 feet in one leap over a high trachyte cliff that abuts on the Taupo Lake, the water near by being almost unfathomable. This fall is near the spot where Herekeikei, a famous Taupo chief, was swallowed up by a landslip that covered his pa entirely and about forty souls. All except Herekeikei himself are under the landslip yet, that distinguished warrior being the only person whose body was considered to
25
be worth exhuming. Tokaanu is situated on a delta formed by the Tongariro River, and is a stretch of fair alluvial soil. I was talking to the Maoris about making better use of the good land they possessed by draining, but they informed me that they had made several attempts to drain, but they could get no deeper than twelve inches, because at that depth the drains were stopped by boiling mud ; therefore the delta of the river still remains undrained.
The third day I took a canoe and guide, with his Maori wife, and crossed Lake Taupo to Pukana, the late residence of Mr. Grace, who was the superintendent of a mission station established there. This place must have been pretty when inhabited, but when I was there the whole garden was overgrown with fern and a prickly species of mimosa, and the house, which was built of blocks of pumice-stone, placed between wooden beams, had been pulled down by Te Kooti during his raid through the district. Our visit resulted in our obtaining a good cargo of ripe peaches that were growing in the neglected orchard. On our return journey, greatly to the horror of my guide's Maori wife, we paddled the canoe close to the cliff bordering the lake, which is in many places overhanging the water, and wherever a crevice would allow a root to gain a hold it is clothed with very pretty forest ferns, and these, partially concealing the opening to numerous small caves, had a lovely effect. The Maori woman was lying at full length in the canoe and hiding her face, fearing the revenge of the taipo (evil spirit) that is supposed to haunt the deep part of the lake under the cliff and who, she feared, would resent our intrusion by causing some tragic catastrophe. On returning to the creek from which we had started, I was surprised to see thousands upon thousands of young carp in the warm water-holes of the creek ; these fish were introduced by a Mr. Morrison, and the Maoris have adopted them.
Notwithstanding the hard toil, the rough climbing, inadequate food and general inconvenience, I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. The view from Ruapehu was ample compensation for all hardships, and it will linger long in my memory.
Now, before returning from the wilds to civilization, I once more gazed on the snow-capped and ice-bound tops of the hoary-headed old mountain and bade it au revoir —not good-bye.
GEORGE BEETHAM.
26
In February, 1879, Mr. George Beetham again climbed Mount Ruapehu ; on this occasion he was accompanied by Mr. J. P. Maxwell, C.E., who was at a later period the Chief Commissioner administrating the New Zealand State Railways. On the 14th June of that year Mr. Beetham gave an account of his two climbs on Mount Ruapehu to the members of the Wellington Philosophical Society (N.Z.). A model of the mountain was exhibited and on this Mr. Beetham pointed out the routes that had been taken and also various points of particular interest ; some rock specimens from the mountain were also exhibited.
Mr. Maxwell, who was present, gave the members additional information of an interesting nature respecting the country which the explorers had passed through.
As no written record by Mr. Beetham of the 1879 climb has been found, the story by him cannot be continued, but fortunately Mr. Maxwell was in London recently and advantage was taken of the circumstance to ask him for some notes of this climb, and to this request he courteously acceded.
Following is the account of the 1879 climb by Mr.Maxwell: —
The First Ascent of Ruapehu, North Island, New Zealand.
Ruapehu, with an altitude of 9,175 feet, is the highest mountain in the North Island of New Zealand, and is the southernmost of the three volcanoes Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro extending about 40 miles southwards of Lake Taupo ; they are all practically extinct; Ruapehu sometimes throws up clouds of steam ; Ngauruhoe, a cinder cone, sometimes ejects steam and scoria ; while Tongariro, except for thermal springs, is practically quiescent.
The summit of Ruapehu was first reached by Mr. G. Beetham, M.H.R., and J. P. Maxwell, M.lnst.C.E., during February, 1879, from the southern end, when the great crater was first discovered.
During 1878, Mr. G. Beetham, accompanied by a young man, explored the Wangaehu Gorge of the mountain on the eastern side, but found that an ascent by that route appeared to be impracticable ; and he decided to defer his attempt until the following year, by the southern spurs.
The mountain has extensive icefields and glaciers ; and ancient moraines now covered with scrub and dwarf bush extending for long distances into the southern and western country indicating that the glaciers in former times were of much greater extent than they now are.
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Very little was known of this part of the country when the ascent was made, as the only access to it was then by bridle tracks from the eastern coast; a day or two was therefore occupied by exploration before the ascent was attempted.
During this exploration, the upper margin of the Wangaehu Gorge was visited, disclosing a very magnificent spectacle. The River Wangaehu nses near the top of the gorge from the melting snow and icefields in and around the crater and which discharge at a lower level. The gorge appears to have been formed by the joint action of volcanic eruption and glaciers. The water is very strongly impregnated with acid and sulphur and is of a milky colour. These characteristics are, during hot summer weather, sometimes maintained until it reaches the sea. The early settlers on the west coast had a tradition that on one occasion a large body of ice reached the sea, having been expelled from this gorge by unusual thermal development.
In passing over the old lava streams on the way to the margin of this gorge, the explorers observed beehive-shaped hollow developments from six to eight feet high, obviously the result of bubbles formed by gases from the molten lava. These shells had split into pentagonal blocks during congealation.
The explorers pitched their camp on the upper margin of the dwarf bush covering the ancient side moraines of the mountain. The ascent from this on the selected route took nine hours following the scoria gullies formed by snow and rain, until the glacier was reached, this they crossed at the brow and followed up the western side moraine along the margin of the glacier until they got access to the great southern spur from the summit. When this summit was reached they found themselves on the lip of a great oval crater which they judged to be two or three miles in length. Immediately below them was an icefield some few acres in extent, with a circular pool of milky water in the middle ; the surface of this water was many feet below that of the icefield, the walls of the pool were of ice. The waters of the pool broke out at a much lower level below the crater, and formed the source of the Wangaehu River.
The need to make the camp in daylight prevented further exploration. The descent to the camp occupied four and a half hours only. Various ascents from the northern side of the mountain have since been made, an easier route having since been found. Government surveyors who have been up during winter have found that the whole crater is then a great icefield with no appearance of a pool in any part of it, this latter development apparently being the result only of a long hot summer.
The dwarf birch bush on the lowest flanks of the mountain on the ancient moraines has a peculiarity. The moraines are composed mainly of huge blocks of lava. The trunks of the dwarf birch crawl along among the surfaces of the lava blocks, their branches only being vertical. It is interesting to know that amongst the remaining vestiges of Dartmoor oak forest in
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Devonshire the oak trees growing among granite boulders and rocks formerly presented the same peculiarity, of horizontal creeping trunks and vertical branches springing therefrom.
J. P. Maxwell
London,
August 6th, 1925.
Following is an account of a visit that was made to Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe Mountains in 1892, by Mr. George Beetham, his wife, and Miss Hilda Temple Williams (his niece), accompanied by Mr. Martin Chapman and Dr. Albert Martin.
[Note. —The ride from the Maori settlement of " Hot Water Tokaanu " to Taumaranui along Maori tracks through the forest was a difficult and arduous one in those days, even for men, and it must have been particularly trying for Mrs. Beetham and Miss Williams.
The Maori is observant and has good powers of deduction, therefore the wearing of jewellery by the travellers indicated to the Maori mind their ability to pay well, and doubtless prompted the increased demand for canoe hire from Taumaranui to Wanganui.
When this river trip was made the journey was a hazardous one, owing to the very numerous long and swift-running rapids that had to be " shot," and canoes were often swamped in them.
Since then most, if not all, of the dangerous rapids have been rendered more safe by the removal of many hundreds of rocks by disintegrating them with dynamite. The Wanganui River is now a regular highway for steamers, motor launches, and motor-driven Maori canoes.]
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“ Moturoa Street,
Wellington,
“ ls< April. 1892.
" Dearest Pater,
"lam writing you an account of our trip to Mount Ruapehu. We left here on Thursday, March 3rd, for Napier.
" Our party comprised Hilda, Mr. Chapman, Dr. Martin, my husband and mvself.
" Behold us, therefore, at 7 a.m. on Monday, 7th, on the coach. We, of course, took rugs and blankets and waterproof sheets for our beds, and Hilda and I each took our saddles, but the rest of our outfit and food we decided to obtain at a store at Moawhango.
" From Napier we had a long day's coaching to a place called Kuripapanga, where we stayed for the night, a very decent, clean pa. The road was very hilly. The next day we had more hills and a great deal of dust at times ; sitting on the box one could just see the tails of the wheelers, the remainder of them and the leaders were enveloped in a dense cloud of dust.
" When we reached Erewhon, the homestead of Mr. W. Birch, we were so dirty that we were ashamed to go into the clean house, and all our wraps and rugs had to be well shaken before they could be taken inside. We remained there for two nights, and on the intervening day we took a drive and a fond farewell to civilization.
" The next day, the 10th, we were to have made a very early start, but the horses had not been shod, and there was great difficulty in getting a sufficient supply of bread, so it was about 11.30 a.m. before we got under way.
" We went to the Woolsheds and there had lunch, and then started on our expedition in real earnest. The five of us made a most imposing procession, each with a sheath knife and pannikin strapped round our waists, with our three pack horses and pack man bringing up at the rear.
" We reached our camping ground, Westlawn, about 5 o'clock, after climbing an exceedingly steep and rough hill, a spur of the Kaimanawa Range. At our first camp we were all busily engaged unloading the horses, unpacking our things, pitching the three tents and cooking dinner.
" After that night we worked systematically on a communal basis : Withers looked after the horses; George and Mr. Chapman pitched tents and cut tent poles, etc. ; Dr. Martin gathered bedding ; and Hilda and I washed potatoes, looked after the fire, and put the ' billys' on to boil. We had three ' billys,' but as we thought the name was too common we christened them William I, William 11, and William 111. We also had a frying-pan, but unfortunately the handle broke off the first day out,
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and we had to use a piece of stick as a temporary handle, and this invariably came off at the most critical moment. We all did a little cooking. Mr. Chapman was great at bacon, and George excelled at Irish stews ; but, familiarity breeding contempt, I feel as though I never wish to eat another Irish stew.
" Of course, we took only a little fresh meat with us as the weather was so hot and the last stew was distinctly ' gamey ' ! George won't admit this, but we had direct information from two of our five senses ! The high flavour settled us, and after that we all stuck to tinned meat, even when once we were offered some fresh meat; it is not nice when it has been packed in sacks, and there was a suggestion of pack-horse about it. On one horse was placed all the tinned things in two boxes, so we named him ' The Boxer ' ; of him more anon.
" It is generally stated that during the first night in a tent one does not get to sleep, but I think we all did so. lam certain that I did! The next day we rode about 30 miles, over tussock and up and down gullies and across creeks, never getting out of a walk owing to the ground being so steep and rough. We at last reached our camping ground, Ohinepango, near to a creek just between Mounts Ruapehu and Tongariro. We pitched our tents in a very pretty little bit of bush on the edge of the desert. For three nights we remained there and took quite a liking to the place. At the same time I could not help thinking that we might at any moment be covered with lava and ashes from the Ngauruhoe volcano should it burst into an extra violent eruption, as it is pretty active now, and there would be an end to us.
" On the evening of our arrival here we were all very tired, and retired directly we had eaten our meal and washed up the tin service. Our usual bedtime was 7.30 p.m., as we had breakfast at all sorts of unearthly hours round about dawn, and our activities during the daytime made us very tired.
" The next day all the horses, except the one that was tethered, had strayed ever so far away, and as it took some time to find them, we therefore did not make a start until almost ten o'clock. There was recompense in the delay as the view of snow-capped Ruapehu, towering above us on the one side, and Tongariro on the other, was magnificent. At last we got off, and, after riding, and riding on ashes and scoria and after having luncheon off sardines and bread and biscuits, no tea, as there was no wood to boil a ' William,' we reached the top of Tongariro, about one o'clock, and then we started for the Peak of Xgauruhoe, which towered high above us like a huge cone ; the climb was very steep and difficult because of the very loose scoria. Mr. Chapman went first, George next, and then Hilda and I. It was awfully tiring walking on the loose stuff, but George was most anxious for us to get to the top as no ladies had ever been there. Needless to say,
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I hitched my riding skirt up quite short. We had lovely views going up, but at the top it was impossible to see across the crater on account of the huge volumes of steam and dust that were being ejected. The ashes on the top of the crater were so hot that we could not put our fingers two inches into them without getting them burnt.
" The ascent was very hard work, zigzagging from side to side, but in coming down we all linked arms and descended at high speed. We reached the horses about 5 o'clock, and then rode back to camp, where, alas ! hungry as hunters, we could have nothing to eat until we had cooked it.
" The following morning we had breakfast, at daylight, on tinned salmon, bread and tea ; not sumptuous fare, but we had no time to cook anything as we wished to make an early start. We got off at 5.30 a.m. in a cold sort of a mist and made straight for Mount Ruapehu ; the weather improving as we neared the mountain.
" We rode for about 14 miles up the scoria gullies and finally had to leave our horses at a spot that did not appear to be very far from the top. As we were ascending the northern peak, we subordinated our temperance principles and all took a little stimulant in the form of whisky and water ; more of the former perhaps than the latter ; then we started for our climb. It was still chilly at 10 a.m., but a comfortable temperature for climbing. We climbed, and climbed, and climbed, mostly over loose stuff, but we never seemed to be nearing the top. I think we arrived at the conclusion there were seven different summits to Ruapehu ! We calculated that the ground was so loose in places that one went up nine and slipped down seven miles ; an advance of two miles an hour. Hard work that ! Eventually we did reach the top. The atmosphere was beautifully clear while we were ascending, but just as we got to the topmost peak of the mountain a southerly scud came up and made us very damp and cold. I found my breathing was affected with the height, and we were all more or less tired and glad to have another pick-me-up. From the top of Ruapehu can be seen one-third of the North Island—a wonderful panorama is disclosed in whichever direction the eyes take, there is a great diversity of view. Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, the two historical volcanic mountains, are near neighbours of Ruapehu. To the south can be seen the cone-shaped, snowcapped Mount Egmont and beyond that the Tasman Sea. At one's feet nestles the great Lake Taupo, extending for twenty-six miles to the foothills of Mount Tauhara, and between Ruapehu and Lake Taupo there is quite an extensive network of rivers, racing along the plains over their rugged beds into lake or sea. The glorious view from Ruapehu will linger in my memory throughout the years of life.
"Owing to the condition of the weather we could not go across the icefield, so made the best of our way down to the horses, getting back to them at three o'clock. There we had a light luncheon and then
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moved off for our camp. Dr. Martin and Withers hastened ahead and when we reached camp at 5.30 p.m., having been for twelve continuous hours on the move, we found they had made us some hot meat extract, which, nasty as it is, was to us as perfect nectar in our tired and hungry condition. They also had the potatoes washed and the water in the ' Williams ' ready for tea. Hilda and I went into our tent to change, and when we came out we found Mr. Chapman had been cooking bacon most artistically on a hot stone, but just as our evening meal was nearly ready, Dr. Martin went to get some hot water and upset a lot of it over the cooked bacon, sending most of it into the ashes. Tableau ! Mr. Chapman said little, but looked more, and retired into his tent, perhaps to relieve his feelings ; Dr. Martin muttered something about having ' a wash ' and went to the creek, and Hilda and I, who were dead-tired, had to turn to and cook some tinned sausages and rescue a little of the bacon for George, who was away cutting firewood. We all felt the contretemps very keenly, but such things will happen.
" The next morning, the 14th March, we started for Tokaanu, which is situated on the southern margin of Lake Taupo, just opposite Tapuaeharuru. The pack-horses were sent by the main track and we branched off by Lake Roto-Aira ; we lost our track once or twice, but on the whole we got along famously. Our talk was mainly of our expedition, and we were all sorry we had not been able to cross the top of Ruapehu and inspect the hot lake that is embasined in a great glacier—a very interesting and unusual phenomenon—but we had to content ourselves with George's description of it, he having been the first white man to discover it.
" Dr. Martin was rather ' piano,' owing to the fact that he had run out of cigarettes, and had made some with Mr. Chapman's tobacco, which did not suit his palate.
" We were all tired after our exertions of the two previous days, and were looking forward to having our evening meal cooked for us at the pa at Tokaanu and sleeping under a roof, although I must say we had not heard very encouraging reports of the accommodation there.
" That afternoon I felt very done, and I had such horrid cramps in my legs that when we reached Tokaanu I had to be lifted off the horse and get George to assist me into the hotel.
" The ride by Lake Roto-Aira was very pretty, and afterwards we had peeps of charming views of Lake Taupo. We were all glad to see the steam of the boiling springs at Tokaanu, and reached there about 6 p.m. We found the pa very clean, and had a little two-roomed cottage to ourselves ; Hilda had one room and George and I the other, but we had to go to the hotel for our meals. We there met Mr. Hursthouse, one of the Government Surveyors, who had been seized, tied up and detained by the
33
Maoris, who held him as a hostage while they negotiated with the Government about surveying land to which the Maoris laid claim.
"After dinner we were advised to take a hot mineral-water bath to get rid of our stiffness. We were advised not to go alone to the thermal springs, as it was dangerous walking among them at night without a guide. Hilda and I, therefore, secured two Maori girls and started off about 8 p.m., when it was quite dark. Before we had time to prepare, the Maori girls made a quick removal of their scanty attire and were in the warm swimming pool in next to no time ; we had willy-nilly to join them or go without our swim. It was a new experience for Hilda and me to be swimming in a natural hot-water pool, in the open, along with Maori girls. We were much amused and reconciled ourselves to the position by remembering that in Maoridom it was a case of noblesse oblige! The bathing took away our stiffness, and Hilda and I thoroughly enjoyed it ; but next morning when we went to see the pool we thought that the water did not look as clean as it should be, but as the whole native population practically live in the warm water, one did not require to seek further information. Except the hotel proprietor and his wife, there are no white people at Tokaanu. We found ourselves a good deal gazed at by the Maoris, and when we played the piano and sang in the evening, which we did on our return from Taupo, we were very much amused at the grunts of approval that came from our dusky audience outside.
" We had expected to hear at Tokaanu from Mr. Krull whether he had arranged for a canoe to meet us at Taumaranui, the highest point on the Wanganui River from whence one can take canoe. As Lake Taupo with its placid surface appeared very inviting, we decided to sail across it in an open boat termed by courtesy a ' yacht.' Before we started Professor B— , of Auckland, and Professor S , of Dunedin, reached Tokaanu, having climbed Mount Tongariro. They had been sent in an unofficial manner to report on the continued activity of Ngauruhoe. George saw them on their arrival, and asked them how they got on. They said they went to the top of Tongariro, but not liking the look of Ngauruhoe they did not ascend it. George thereat smiled his very sweetest and said : —' Oh, we all went up, ladies and all.' We heard afterwards that the crushed Professors went to Withers, the packman, and asked him if it were true that Hilda and I had gone up the mountains.
" We started that afternoon in the ' yacht ' belonging to a man named Fernie. There was hardly any wind when we started, but Mr. Fernie assured us it always got up at sunset and we should reach Taupo about 11 p.m. or midnight. Luckily we took our rugs and plenty of food, for at the outset the wind dropped, and later a head wind sprang up and during the whole of the night we were in that boat ; there was a nasty jobble, and both Hilda and I were very sick. We had some raupo put for us in the bow of the
34
boat and laid down there. Sleep was out of the question. George and Mr. Chapman had to row all night, and, taking one thing with another, it is advisable to draw a veil over the horrors of that night.
We reached Taupo at 10 a.m. the next morning, very tired, hungry and dirty, vowing we never would go in that yacht again.
" We then drove to Wairakei and renewed our acquaintance with Mrs. Graham. We all had a swim there in the very fine warm pools and felt much better for it, and after lunch went to see the Boiling Springs, which, to my mind, now that the Pink and White Terraces are destroyed, are the most curiously interesting sights that I have seen in New Zealand, and I think I have seen most of them.
" We drove back to Taupo in time for dinner, and afterwards we met Mrs. D. Riddiford, the Misses Willis and five men who were with them. They were on a riding tour and had been following in our tracks part of the way. You can imagine the chatter about our different camping experiences. Hilda and I, who had been rather dejected about our shattered appearance, were quite cheered up when we saw the other ladies, who certainly looked more fagged than we did, and who, we fancy, had not had such good packhorses or camping arrangements as ourselves. Apropos of pack-horses, I ought to have told you that on the day we trekked to Tokaanu ' The Boxer ' suddenly took it into his head that he would try to get rid of his pack, so he tried to buck it off ; failing in that he took two or three big jumps, turned a complete somersault and lay on the ground with his head quite under him. We all thought his back or neck was broken, but when the packman reached him and used a little strong language and gave him a few cuts of the whip ' The Boxer ' calmly got up, pack and all, and proceeded quietly on the journey. The condition of the pack was not improved, but luckily there was nothing breakable in it, although everything was very much knocked about.
" To return to Taupo : we found the drive to Tokaanu would take a full day and be very dusty and tiring, so it was finally decided that we should this time return in a little steam launch belonging to the same Mr. Fernie (whom by this time I loathed !). Hilda and I were very sad at the prospect of again crossing the lake, 26 miles of misery ! ! We heard from Mr. Krull that he could make no arrangements to send a canoe to meet us, but that he heard there were plenty of canoes at Taumaranui, so we determined to risk it, as Dr. Martin said,' Taumaranui or bust.' It began to rain as we went across the lake, and by the time we reached Tokaanu about 4.30 p.m. it was pouring, and we got very wet walking up to the hotel from the landing place, as did all our bread, which we had been obliged to get at Taupo for the trip down the Wanganui River. However, we put it into the oven at the hotel and dried it.
" The next morning it was raining, so we decided to remain at Tokaanu, and in the afternoon it looked so fine after lunch that we decided to go and
35
see the Waihi Falls, two miles across the lake from Tokaanu. As soon as we got there the rain came on again, so we went to see the Catholic priest, who had a fellow priest staying with him, both of them Dutchmen. They gave us some very nasty tea, and finally ran us in for a subscription !
" The Waihi Falls were very fine. As the next day did not look promising we remained at Tokaanu. The natives followed us about everywhere and were a great nuisance, and smelt so Maori, in fact the whole place smelt Maori. On the 20th, however, we got off; the weather was fine and we had intended going by the Puketapu Bush, but were advised not to do so, as, owing to the rain, the track was very bad and we should never get the pack-horses through. In fact, the night before we left an old Maori came to George and said that he came to see him ' as one gentleman to another ' to tell him not to take the walnnes (women) by the Puketapu track, so in the face of so much advice we decided to go round by Lake Roto-Aira and Waimarino.
" The 20th March saw us off with great difficulty, but great glee, at 9 a.m. Our Maori guide struck for very high wages just after we were well away from Tokaanu, so George told him to clear out, and we trusted to getting another from some pa that we should pass later on. We retraced our steps about ten miles and then rode all along the shores of Lake RotoAira. It was exceedingly pretty. About three o'clock in the afternoon we reached a pa and secured a Maori guide, and about five o'clock we came to a place where there was a whare in ruins; as it had just begun to drizzle we decided to camp there. The tents were pitched, and we cooked in the whare, although it was only partly roofed. That was not a good camp.
" The next morning our guide put us on the right track and told us to keep to it until we came to the Waimarino pa, when we should be able to get another guide. Soon after he left us it again began to rain, and got worse and worse until about 1 p.m. we found ourselves wet through. The track came to an end in some bush at a spot where three creeks met and was so flooded that it was impossible to see any tracks on the other side at all. A council meeting was held as we could not tell whether we had missed the track or not, as one had been seen some miles back branching off from a creek that by that time would be too flooded to cross. George finally decided that as we were all wet through and very cold we had better turn back to a whare we had seen about three miles back, and he would ride and see if the other track led anywhere.
" When we got to the whore we found it securely padlocked. However, we managed to unscrew it and went in and found an extremely dirty habitation, but it was watertight, and that was a great consideration and a matter for congratulation. lam sorry to say that Mr. Chapman was slightly cross at turning back, and nothing Hilda or I could do would persuade him to make up a decent fire. At last, when George returned to report that the
36
side track led to nothing, he was very cross to find Hilda and I, in spite of having taken whisky, were shivering over a small fire of chips. Dr. Martin had a sore throat, and was too seedy to do anything much, and Mr. Chapman too cross, and Hilda and I could only see huge logs that wanted chopping, so we had to shiver in silence. George soon made a roaring fire, and it was decided that we should spend the night there. We rigged up some waterproof sheets as a partition, and divided the whare into accommodation for ladies and gentlemen respectively. Withers was sent to see if he could make anything out about the track, and we proceeded to cook, and dry our clothes. He came back about 4.30 p.m. and said the track ended at the three creeks ; we felt sad. However, about five o'clock the rain cleared off and the clouds lifted, and we saw we were just under Mount Ruapehu on one of the low-lying spurs of the western side. The view was just lovely. We turned in very early. My bunk smelt horribly. This whare was reputed to be haunted by a very pretty Maori girl, whose spirit form sought in vain for her lost lover ; it was said that she peered through the window at midnight. We did not see her. Perhaps it was too wet for her to come out.
" The next morning the rain had almost ceased. George and Mr. Chapman started before daylight to see where the track did go to, and we were left to get breakfast and pack up and be ready for a start as soon as they returned. About 8 o'clock we heard George cooee-ing, so as we were nearly ready we got off soon after he came for us. He reported the track to be the right one, and that he had left Mr. Chapman improving a very nasty crossing to a creek near the whare where we had come to a stop the day before. We left a paper in the whare to the effect that a party of ladies and gentlemen had taken shelter there. Swept it out, relocked it, and left it much cleaner than it was.
" We went on and on and on through bush, over creeks and tussocks and more bush, and yet we never came to this Waimarino pa where we were to get a guide ; now, at last, we came to a deserted pa, we felt sad and doubtful. However, the track continued and so did we and about 12 o'clock we came to Waimarino. We found only one family there as the others had all gone to a tangi somewhere. After much talking we got the man to promise to guide us to Taumaranui. We had to wait whilst he caught a horse and put on some clothes, as his only garments comprised a shawl and a shirt. At last we got off and struck the bush again about two miles from his whare. I never saw a more lovely bush, Todea superba everywhere and mountain aloes, and all sorts of lovely trees and ferns. But the track ! It was awful; every now and again we had to dismount and scramble through mud as it was feared the horses would stick or tumble if we remained on their backs. Here a tree was down and we had to make a detour in the bush; there the pack-horses could not get through, so the bush had to be cleared a bit. It was most exciting. At last, after going about 12 miles
37
we pitched our tents in the bush in the midst of dense forest with the most lovely Todea ferns all round our tents. I called it the ' Home of the Todeas.' It was quite fine overhead, but we got very damp riding through the bush, as the track was in places so narrow and overgrown that one could not see the horse's head, it was continually covered with undergrowth.
" The next day we made an early start, thinking, poor deluded mortals, that we should reach Taumaranui about lunch time. Fortunately we had packed up some lunch as, although our guide told us it was not far, we went on and on and on in the bush until about 2.30 p.m. We felt somewhat like Stanley must have done when he got out of the Dark Forest ; it was quite a relief to see the blue sky overhead. We then thought surely we must be soon at Taumaranui. We saw a river, we saw a large pa —no, that was not Taumaranui. We came to another pa, we crossed a river, saw two more pas, neither of them Taumaranui. We were all dreadfully tired, and we began to doubt if there was such a place. At last the Maori said we were quite near, so George rode on, as we knew there was one Englishman named Bell, who was supposed to keep a store at Taumaranui, and where we trusted to get more bread and butter and some potatoes, as we only had half a loaf left of extremely stale bread and very little butter. We all looked extremely shabby and dirty. I saw George, by way of imparting an air of respectability to the party, putting his rings on. Even after George left us we had quite a long way to ride. At last, as everything does have an end, we did reach Taumaranui. We found a two-roomed Government hut there, so the gentlemen decided to sleep in it and pitch the tent for Hilda and me. After a few minutes a white man came along (we always had an admiring crowd of natives around us). Hilda and I, concluding he was Mr. Bell, flew to him, smiled sweetly on him, shook hands and said, ' Have you any bread and potatoes ? ' Imagine our feelings when he said he only had one loaf. However, he said he would give us half, and bake us another next day and have it ready quite early for us if we did arrange to get off. We found his loaves were equal in size to three ordinary ones, and such good bread and so appetizing after eating bread nearly a fortnight old that had been wet and dried and packed up in sacks.
" Hilda and I slept well that night. Directly we showed ourselves in the morning we were followed by an admiring crowd of Maoris, who watched all we did with great interest. When we pinned our hats on with long pins through our hair they looked so amazed that I am quite sure they expected our brains to come out. We found that there had only been two white women there before—relations of surveyors.
" Soon after breakfast George told us to pack up everything as the canoe would be ready in an hour. We worked away with great vigour, to find, when we had settled everything and given Withers enough food to
38
take him back, as he and the horses were to leave us there and return to Birch's, that the whole bargain was off with that set of Maoris, and that another negotiation was begun with another set. It was then decided that we were to leave at daybreak the next day, and as our tent was packed up, and it would save time in the morning, we were to sleep in the inner room of the hut. We did not much care about the idea, but as it saved trouble we could not help ourselves. In the afternoon I lay down in the manuka scrub and was just dozing off to sleep when I heard voices behind me. I just saw they were two Maori girls who had been much struck with our appearance. The whispering continued for a bit and presently a watermelon was rolled down beside me. I thanked them and they departed, to go through the same performance with Hilda. We slept in the hut that night, or rather did not ; the fleas were numerous and hungry, and in spite of insect powder they were very active. Mr. Chapman reported having caught and killed forty of them, but we did not catch nearly so many although we felt as though there were thousands of them available.
" On the morning of Friday, March 25th, we got up in the dark, had breakfast in the dim light of dawn, and made all our traps ready by the time the sledge, called by courtesy a dray, came to cart them to the river. When we reached the river we found Hakiaha, the Maori who was to canoe us down the river with the assistance of another Maori, calmly eating his breakfast and evidently suffering a recovery from the night before.
" It was about 6 a.m., a nasty fog all round, moisture dropping from the trees in big drops, and very cold. George promptly saw something was wrong. It turned out they wanted £6 more than the original arrangement, viz., £5 per head to take us to Wanganui, 136 miles. George gesticulated extensively and talked fluently in Maori and got pretty waxy ; he, being the only Maori linguist in the party, had to do all the talking. Of course, the natives knew our horses were gone and considered they had us in their power. George told us to look as though we didn't care a rap, so we sat on a fence and read, or pretended to read shilling shockers, with our rugs wound round our knees and our air cushions in our hands feeling very cold and sad. Presently Mr. Bell came on the scene and talked very big and loud about getting us horses and sending us to Te Kuiti, about 60 miles off, where we could catch the train for Auckland. After a bit it transpired that Mrs. Hakiaha was at the bottom of the whole thing, as she declared her husband would spend all the money in drink at Wanganui, so after one hour's talk George paid Mrs. Hakiaha £5 on account, and we were told it was all settled at the original price. Hakiaha's wife was a genuine prophetess, as her husband demonstrated to us when we reached Wanganui. After this financial transaction, we all, Maoris and pakehas, squatted round a fire where the natives had made their breakfast and exchanged compliments. They told us we were ' gold people,' as we had gold watches, chains and
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•fc. c 1 z
rings, and I had my usual gold bangles. They were much struck with the air cushions, which they called ' Bellakamitte,' Blacksmith's bellows. Finally, at eight o'clock, the fog having cleared, we got into the canoe that was moored to the banks of the Ongaruhe River, which flows into the Wanganui River, Taumaranui being situated on a sort of peninsula between the two rivers. We felt quite relieved when we finally started our downriver journey. Our canoe was pretty heavily laden as we had two saddles, food, tents, blankets and clothing, and five adults and two Maoris ; there was no room for more.
" We took one extra man to shoot us down the first two rapids in the Ongaruhe, as they were difficult and very swift. Hakiaha, as captain of the canoe, steered, and the other man, Tuaoa, was in the bow ; he was the funniest-looking man I ever saw. It made one laugh to look at him. He wore a girl's old sailor hat without any trimming, a shirt and a shawl. We called him Tarley, as someone had taught him an English song, of which he was very proud about : ' Tarley, Tarley, far far 'way.'
" I cannot describe to you the beauty and excitement of going down the weirs and shooting the rapids. The blue sky overhead and the lovely bush covering the steep hillsides down to the water's edge. Hilda and I lay, smothered in rugs, just doing nothing but loaf the first day. It was so nice being lazy after all our hard work. The gentlemen paddled, and it was just lovely to see the way the Maoris managed the canoe, dashing down a rapid between huge boulders in what looked hardly enough room for the canoe to pass through, and then guiding it sharply round a snag ; they certainly were very clever watermen. Going down the rapids everyone had to paddle as hard as they could, while Hakiaha steered and Tarley poled, or they both poled at times, the water just up to the edge of the gunwale, and occasionally dashing over into the canoe. The river curls, twists and twines in the most curiously erratic manner. There is a legend that it was formed by a big Taniwha coming up from the sea and forcing a passage for himself; his nose must have been very sore after it, I think, considering the mountains that he passed through and many gorges that he made.
" At lunch time we landed to boil a ' William ' and make some tea, and then Tarley produced a mysterious bundle out of which appeared a brand new pair of boots, trousers and coat, of which he was very proud. He tried on the boots and then packed them all up again.
" In the afternoon we came to the dangerous Paparoa Rapids, where they asked us all to get out whilst the Maoris took the canoe down them. We had to get out of the canoe at four rapids altogether, as it was so deep in the water that they thought all our things would get wet. After going about thirty miles we camped just below a Maori pa called Kaiwhakauka. We found camping on the river much less trouble than at Ruapehu as the canoe
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poles did also for tent poles. Of course, Maoris came down to see us and again called us ' gold people.' We had kumaras (potatoes) and water melons given us. Dr. Martin was asked to go and see a sick Maori; he had to do a good deal of that all the time ; at Tokaanu he had to go and see a leper, whom he pronounced the real thing. The patient at this pa was a child and early the next morning Dr. Martin went there, and we gave the Maoris some meat extract for him and explained how it was to be used. We also gave them a tin of meat, some soap and two empty biscuit tins, which they considered great treasures.
" On the 26th March we got off about 7 a.m. after rolling ourselves in rugs and squatting like Maoris, greatly to their amusement. All day long we passed the most gorgeous scenery to be seen anywhere. At lunch time Tarley again unpacked his swag, this time inducting himself into his trousers and coat and keeping them on, but the boots were too sacred. Hilda and I paddled a little that day, but we preferred eating water melons, which we did to a great extent, the only drawback being that as soon as we commenced eating Tarley would also begin, and his food consisted of dried eels of a most gamey smell and he kept passing them up to Hakaiha, who was in the stern behind us, and we had to handle as well as smell the horrible things. That night we camped at a very bad place, on a river that had recently been in high flood, and it was muddy and nasty. It was called Opopo. Dr. Martin, after our evening meal, spent some time trying to teach Tarley the words of ' Twinkle, twinkle, little star,' which, after much teaching, was rendered ' Pinicote, pinicote, ti to tar,' greatly to our amusement.
" March 27th. —This day we made a very early start as we wanted to get to Pipiriki for lunch. We all paddled like mad, but, alas ! there were not nearly so many rapids, the river was running through high, narrow gorges with the water nearly dead all the time. We stopped to explore some caves which were not very remarkable, save for mud, and reached Pipiriki at 1 o'clock. It is a sweetly pretty little place, a native settlement, the hills being much lower than those higher up the river. Hearing there was an accommodation house at Pipiriki, we thought a meal in a house would be nice, so, picturing fresh bread, milk and meat, we went up a steep hill to it from the river. The proprietor was very obliging and solicitous for our comfort, but, alas ! it was a case of tinned meat, milk and very short supply of hard, musty scones. However, there was a tablecloth and as we had very good appetites we enjoyed the meal very much. Doubtless, if we had been just starting on our travels instead of ending them, we should have been more fastidious, but when one has been using tin plates and pannikins for many days one is not quite so particular.
" A steamer ordinarily runs as far as Pipiriki from Wanganui but at present it is being lengthened, so it is not running. We left Pipiriki about 2.30 p.m., after having measured our canoe, which we found was 45 feet long by 4 feet broad. All the river canoes are made either at Taumaranui
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or one of the neighbouring pas. We passed Hiruharama (Jerusalem), where there is a large Roman Catholic Convent and Maori school and where the much-advertised remedies of Mother Mary Aubert come from. That night we camped on a small island opposite Karatea, named Porongorau. We soon got our tents up and all felt rather sad on contemplating the near termination of our explorations. That evening we had a very big ' stoke,' as it was our last meal before returning to civilization ; ' stoke ' was an expression introduced by Mr. Chapman when the food was not very nice, and we simply ate as a duty to keep the works going, so we always called it ' stoking.' However, that night we stoked with reckless extravagance, hot buttered toast, with an unlimited amount of butter ; the same thing the next morning, when we had buttered toast with our bacon and potatoes —an extravagance that had not been previously permitted on account of the short supplv of butter, as when we had bacon we were allowed only dry bread.
" The Wanganui River in these lower reaches is very uninteresting after the glorious scenery higher up; it is, however, much more cultivated, and there is a larger population. As to the rapids, they were very feeble and safe in comparison with those we had come down.
" March 28th, we all paddled in the bright rays of a very hot sun until about 12 o'clock, when we reached a place called Upohongaruru, where the river takes a great reverse bend for fifteen miles just like an S, and when we had lunched the Maoris told us that if we climbed an extremely steep hill we should, after an hour's walk, come to a public house called Kennedys, and they could bring the canoe down 15 miles and meet us there as the river was very uninteresting. Well, we climbed up the hill in the broiling sun and had a most glorious view of Mount Ruapehu towering against the sky in the far distance, and we walked down the other side through some bush and walked and walked for about two hours before we arrived at Kennedys, really about a five-mile walk. There we had some tea and rested until the canoe and Maoris turned up at 5 o'clock. We found Tarley in a benign and friendly mood as a result of some whisky that he had been drinking. We had a further seven miles to go to get to Wanganui and all the men worked as hard as they could ; fortunately it was slack water so there was no flood tide to retard our progress. At 6.45 p.m. we moored at Wanganui township. George remained in the canoe to look after our camping things, we others went to the Rutland Hotel, and from there sent a trap to George for our belongings. Hilda and I felt grateful to the darkness that hid the very disreputable appearance that we made. After enquiring for rooms we asked if our baggage had arrived as we had sent it on from Napier. Everything was there except our box of clothing ! Imagine our feelings. However, after some searching it was discovered much to our relief, and then George appeared on the scene. As it was so late we decided to have dinner and tub afterwards.
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So with a perfunctory wash we all appeared at the dinner table at the same time except Dr. Martin, who, however, turned up a little later so changed that we hardly knew him ! He had been to a barber's for a shave ! The change was remarkable although he had had one or two slight shaves on the journey. After dinner we all indulged in hot baths, at least I did, and I conclude the others did, and then went to bed. After our camping experiences the Rutland Hotel seemed most luxurious ; next morning, however, we found none of us had slept nearly as well as in the tents ; in fact, I slept vilely in spite of the luxury of the sheets. Hilda and I woke to find ourselves famous. We had been telegraphed and paragraphed about all over the country as being the first ladies to ascend Mount Ngauruhoe. Hilda and I felt very conceited at first, but our unaccustomed famousness has now become familiar. The Maoris do not like white people to go up Mounts Tongariro and Ngauruhoe, and one Maori told us that the very wet day we experienced was because the gods of Tongariro were angry at our going up the mountain.
" I am afraid I have given you no idea of the beauties of the Wanganui River, but it is almost impossible for me to give you any idea of it. We had such perfectly glorious weather the whole four days that we were descending it and that added additional beauty to the fairy-like scenery. The Rhine, taking away its castles, is not to be compared for beauty with the Wanganui and its wooded heights and tree ferns coming down to the water's edge, the high gorges and steep rocky slopes clothed in ferns and mosses.
" We went to see our canoe next morning and found Hakiaha dead drunk under the trees at 8 a.m. He had evidently had a night of it. Tarley was sober, and he was the one I should have thought would have been drunk. We all have kept the paddles we paddled with as souvenirs. We stayed one day in Wanganui, but Dr. Martin and Mr. Chapman left on the 29th ; we on the 30th March. We saw Hakiaha on the morning of the 30th ; some Maoris had taken his canoe away and he did not know how he was to return to Taumaranui and Mrs. Hakiaha. It would take them fourteen or sixteen days to do the journey in on account of the rapids and currents where it had taken us four days to come down. We should have taken five, but we had to come as fast as we could as we were behind our time and our friends had appointments, and we thought our relations might be anxious about us.
" I am afraid you will lie quite weary reading through this long story, but I thought you would like to know about our journeying."
FRANCES A. BEETHAM
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Extracts from the Tabloid Pocket Diary of the late George Beetham.
Thursday, 3rd March, 1892.
Frances and I started from Napier by Wellington—Manawatu Railway.
Monday, 7th March,
Started for Birch’s, 7 a.m. —pleasant ride on whole, but dusty, rather dangerous. Kuripapanga comfortable —much changed. Good bridge over Ngaruruto.
Tuesday, Bth March.
7 a.m. start. Walked up Gentle Annie —very fair road. Lunched at Rangitiksi—very dusty. Pleasant evening, music.
Wednesday, 9th March
Chapman and I got horses from Birch and rode to Moawhango. Ladies drove. Great changes. Arranged with Batley for provisions, horses, etc. Cloudy—mountains not visible. Native meeting.
Thursday, 10th March.
Rode down early to Moawhango. No bread procurable. Started from Homestead at 11—lunched at the Birch House at Shearing Station —started at 2 p.m., Mr. Birch going with us a short way. Camped at Westlawn — good camp. Three tents, three pack-horses and good gear. Very comfortable for first night; fine view of Ruapehu in moonlight.
Friday, 11th March.
Up early, but eight before we got off. Long, heavy ride to the Desert, over hills, gullies, streams and tussocks. Very tired when reached Ohinepango at 5.30. Picked good camp. Chapman very good and Dr. Martin doing well also. Fine view of Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe in evening by moonlight. To bed at 8 p.m.
Saturday, 12th March.
Fog and rain early—fortunately cleared up in good time. Lunched on way —arrived Tongariro saddle, 1.45. Splendid view, ascended the active crater from where smoke, steam and dust were ejected. Very hard work —ladies did well. Came down mountain hand in hand.
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Sunday, 13th March.
Started early, 5.30; got to the summit of Ruapehu about 2 p.m., very cold and foggy—Scotch mist that wet us through with strong wind. Weather too bad to cross the snow-field. Camped at 6 p.m., very tired. Ladies did well.
Monday, 14th March.
Started early for Tokaanu via Roto-Aira, leaving the newly-made road on our right—had to cut through scrub. No natives at Pouto. Fine day—gathered wild strawberries. Arrived Tokaanu at 6 p.m. very tired. Ladies wearied out. Better quarters than expected; better grub. Good bath in puia.
Tuesday, 15th March.
Walked about looking at natural curiosities and bathed. Started in Fernie’s boat for Taupo—no wind, had to pole a long way—head wind after. Chapman and I pulled all night—ladies under forecastle and sick. Not a comfortable night by any means.
Wednesday, 16th March.
Arrived at Taupo at 10 a.m., pulling up to the last. Good breakfast. Visited Wairakei —lunched there, bathed in douche bath ; ladies there and large party. Visited the geysers and pitias —well worth a visit. Back to Taupo to dinner. Riddiford's party arrived, great chatter ; they rode from Hunterville. Heavy rain.
Thursday, March 17th.
Still raining—left Riddiford party journeying to Wairakei. We took steamer at 10 o’clock —strong wind with us. Ladies unwell. I held out —too much sea for small boat. Glad to land although in rain—everything wet. Brown and Scott Peterson saw Maori tangi, sorry we missed it. Word from R ; no canoe !
Friday, 18th March.
Still raining, too wet to start over Puketapu track for Taumaranui. Heard very bad report of road. With Martin inspected the lepers—horrible sight. Visited the Mission Station at Waihi, also the falls —very good —let in for subscription. Dreary rain.
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Saturday, 19th March.
Fiddled about in the wet all day—very angry. Saw Maori races, rather good. Bathed in puias and got cold shower bath outside. Music at Blake’s hotel.
Sunday, 20th March
Started 8 a.m. for Taumaranui via Waimarino. Too wet for Puketapu—• guide struck for more pay —sent him back. Roto-Aira very pretty. Got guide. Crossed upper Wanganui—wet camp, everything wet.
Monday, 21st March.
Guide returned. Heavy rains again, nasty river. Proceeded on indicated track until 2 p.m, ; river then so much swollen could not see track. Returned to whare and decided to camp there ; very dirty, but better than wet tent. Put up partition. Sent guide Withers to river again ; returned, and said could not cross and no road. Cleared up and saw Ruapehu just above us ; knew that road must cross creek.
Tuesday, 22nd March.
Chapman and I out early to inspect; stoked with Irish stew. Found the road did cross the river. Returned, got off 9 a.m. ; reached Waimarino pa at 1.30 p.m. Lunched, and got the only man there for a guide. Went on and camped in the bush about 12 miles from entrance ; tired. Road much overgrown—splendid Todeas, used them as seats. No poles—bad swamps on road.
Wednesday, 23rd March
Fancied that an early start would take us to Taumaranui by 1 p.m., but it did not. Passed two clearings on road; pleasant to see the sun and to feel the warmth after the everlasting wet scrub. After we lost the bush we found we had 10 miles to ride—passing two pas, both of which we were ready to believe were Taumaranui. Arrived 6.30, very tired. Took possession of good whare, tent for ladies. Saw Bell, got some bread.
Thursday, 24th March.
All day trying to arrange for canoe —met with a good deal of trouble with the natives ; finally arranged for a start next morning with a man introduced by Bell, Hakiaha. Tried to arrange smaller canoe for short distance to pick up larger one ; fortunately failed, for same canoe upset a party of natives, who lost all their luggage and had to swim for their lives.
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Friday, 25th March.
Heavy fog on river ; we were ready at 6 a.m. Found the natives determined to break through the arrangement : wanted the £25 arranged for and £6 additional for canoe. Stuck out firmly, although in fear and trepidation, and carried my point, assisted by Bell, who offered us horses to return by land. Started at 8 a.m. ; beautiful morning—good spirits. About half a mile down Ongaruhe passed the Kaiwhakauka.
Saturday, 26th March.
Started early—amusement of natives, who came down to see us breakfast. Gold rings and such things evidently unknown. Plenty of rapids and gorges, all very interesting. Difficulty re camps ; plenty of mud and sticks, no fern.
Sunday, 27th March.
Started early ; glad to get away. No sun, very deep gorges ; no sun for miles; worked hard to keep warm. Examined interesting caves; saw many wild duck. Lunched at Pipiriki. Passed Hiruharama. Camped at Porongorau, near Karatea.
Monday, 28th March.
Started early. Very lovely; river widening out with deep gorges, stock to be seen—willows plentiful. Left the river at Omaru and walked over to Kennedy’s, at Upohongaruru. Fine view. Natives took canoe round ; reached Wanganui 7 p.m., rather tired, having pulled the whole way down the river with the exception of the big bend. Glad to change our clothes at the Rutland ; lots of letters.
Tuesday, 29th March
Sorry to find just missed HWB and Pulham, who had started for Taranaki and Auckland. Went to canoe —found Hakiaha very drunk and only old Tuaoa in charge ; settled by paying him and obtaining receipt. Dined all the Wanganui College boys ; they ate enough for a regiment. Ladies tired. Saw “ The Sorcerer ” performed very well by amateurs. Dreamed of river.
G. B.
49
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Bibliographic details
APA: Beetham, George. (1926). The first ascent of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand, and a holiday jaunt to Mounts Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe. Harrison and Sons.
Chicago: Beetham, George. The first ascent of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand, and a holiday jaunt to Mounts Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe. London: Harrison and Sons, 1926.
MLA: Beetham, George. The first ascent of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand, and a holiday jaunt to Mounts Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe. Harrison and Sons, 1926.
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The first ascent of Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand, and a holiday jaunt to Mounts Ruapehu, Tongariro, and Ngauruhoe Beetham, George, Harrison and Sons, London, 1926
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