THE ALBERTLANDERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 216, 12 September 1925, Page 27

THE ALBERTLANDERS.

PORT ALBERT'S ISOLATION. MR. RUSHBROOK'S LONG WALK. TO NORTHCOTE THROUGH THE BUSH. A THREE-DAY'S TRAMP. (Edited by HENRY BEETT.) An interesting narrative of the early days is told by Mr. W. IT. Eushbrook, of Takapuna, for many years in business in Queen Street, Auckland, who was a boy of twelve when he came out to JTeW Zealand with his parents. He says his people did the first stage of the dreary journey—that from" Auckland to Rivefhead— in one of the small half-decked cutters that were familiar sights in Auckland in those days. The tide failed, and the party was out all night, but by the aid of sweeps they managed to reach Biverhead in the small hours of the morning. Eiverhead "was not a very inviting looking place for these newcomers fresh from the settled life of Britain, but they faced the future cheerfully. A number of their fellow passengers -were camped there, and after a short delay the Rushbrooks—father and mother and six children—commenced the second stage of the journey, transhipping their personal belongings to a horse dray. The rough fourteen-mile track through scrub and bush took about a day and a-half to negotiate, and the travellers had their first experience of what awaited them in New Zealand in an improvised camp in the tea-tree. At Helensville a number of the new settlers were camped on the shore of the harbour awaiting means of reaching their Dew home. Mr. father engaged a one-armed boatman named Ricks to convey them on to the settlement. It was expected {hat this would occupy only a short time, but two days were spent in crossing the Kaipara and ascending the Oruawharo River before the newcomers were landed at their goal. It was a very expensive journey, and this aspect was a serious one for the new settlers. Moreover they could take nothing more than light luggage with them, the bulk of their goods following in a brig which sailed from * Auckland. Dumped down in a new country, with slender resources and where the conditions of life were all strange, the prospect facing these courageous people was one needing high courage and unflagging energy. " When the land ballots were held," said Mr. Bushbrook, " my father took up a section of 200 acres, about seven miles from where Port Albert now stands. Here we found ourselves literally in a wilderness of fern. There was practically no means of communication with the outside world, no market for any crops . that were raised, and often we, and all the other settlers, were in desperate straits for provisions." Mr. Rushbrook spoke feelingly of the Rev. William Gittos, the missionary among the Maoris at Otamatea, whom he described as "the best friend the Port Albert settlers had." Faced with a hazardous and indeed hopeless prospect it was not to be wondered at that many of the settlers did not stay at Port Albert, and gradually left for other parts of the country. But if the new settlement was difficult to reach, it was equally difficult to get away from. Mr. Rushbrook describes how he and his brother, when they decided to return to Auckland, took three days to walk from Port Albert to Stokes' Point, or Northcote, as we now knowit. Their way led along the Great North Road, a primitive highway a chain wide, cut through heavy bush for most of the journey, very steep in places, rough, and without bridges. They forded the Hoteo River, and at the end of the first day's march reached Warkworth, where a hotel was kept by a Mr. Southgate, a relative of a well-known coastal skipper of a few years ago. Here they expected to be taken by boat to Auckland, but they arrived an hour late. Next morning they walked on until they reached Maurice Kelly's place at the Wade, and on the afternoon of the third day got to Northcote, from where a small Bailing boat left daily for Auckland. Mr. Rushbrook was a prominent Queen Street draper for many years. For tbout ten years he was witii the late Mr. Echard Hobbs, and then, took the business over, running it until about fifteen years ago, when he retired.