THE OLD MAN ROCK

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1630, 11 April 1928, Page 5

THE OLD MAN ROCK

A MAGHIFIGEKT PANORAMA *~- SEEING CEH7BAL OTAGO (Contributed.) Extensive inquiries in the vicinity of Alexandra regarding the height of the Old Man Sock above sea level and the time it "takes to get up the hill to have a look at it brought replies about as variegated as a jazz jumper. There were dark stories told of the - necessity of horses to make the precipitous ascent, of the advisability of proceeding to huts on the side of the range and attacking the monster the next morning, of the Herculean energy required to master the mountain. At last a fair lady appeared who had been there, and her advice was as comforting as her appearance. The, trip, we were assured, could be made in three hours by horseback. That decided us. If it .took horses to get a woman there, we could use Shanks's pony. •A car ride in the early morning to Frtdtlands brought us to the foot of the hill, and a kindly settler with a homestead surrounded by green fields . and sheep dogs gave us directions. An hoar saw us well up the slope, with a magnificent view of mountain and plain opening at our feet, the deep and rugged gorge stretching through past Roxburgh and appearing through the southern haze to end with the Blue Mountains, where Tapanui sleeps peaeefullv with its green fields and contented flocks. Slightly to the left of the northern end of the Blue Mountain -> we could nick out on the horizon the outline of hills which bore a suspicious resemblance to those near the township of Milton. Straight ahead as far as the eye conld reach lay the ragged outlines of the desert hills which block in the valley where the town of Alexandra lies. Another hour and we were practically at the top, while the end of three hours found us at our objective—the Rock itself. Although a fine enough day in the lower regions, a bitterly cold wind swept across the top of the mountain, bringing an icy blast from the peaks which kiss the heavens to the west. The Remarkable chain could bejjicked out with ease, while the mountains in the vicinity of Pembroke stood out further to the right. From then on lay range on range of hill and mountain, the whole merging with the Alps. We were presented wit]; a magnificent panorama of Central Otago. It helped one to realise in some small way the daring of those men who first crossed these rocky •apastes in search of the precious yellow j&etal.

A couple of hours at an easy pace saw as once.-more back in the Fruitlands area, and a short run back to town by no means ended a most pleasant day. The trip up- the Old Man is one that -- is by no means arduous. It wellrepays a visit. There is a.beaten track which meanders by the easiest road to the summit, and which makes no undue call on ones physical capacities. It is a track that could, with all-round benefit, be more extensively used-and advertised by local residents desirous of conveying to visitors some idea of the enormous stretch of. country hereabouts and its great potentialities once the iife-gjviiig waters are available through the works of'man.