PIONEERS STILL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 200, 7 January 1942, Page 5

PIONEERS STILL

OLD WARM SPIRIT MAINTAINED

HOSPITABLE MANAWAHE

High on the green table-land overlooking' the Ran.gita.iki! Plains is the old-world settlement of Ma nawah e. We say, 'old-world' because the true spirit of pioneering, the siame warm-hearted' hospitality, and the same hard! struggle are the portion of the daily life of the community which has its home in the crisp,

clean mountain air.

Strangely enough comparatively few people from Whakatane or the Plains have visited the mountain plateau. It is their, misfortune rather than their luck, for here amidst the tall gaunt skeletons of the dead forest giants, which have been 'burnt off' in order to make way for pas-< ture lands are the homes of thirty or forty settlers who by dint of their isolation, have been able to retain something of those intangible earlysettler attributes for which the Dominion was so famous a few decades ago. Sophistication, and all the arti j ficialities of modern life are nonexistent up there in the hills; the settlers have neither time nor desire to be anything other than their plain hard-working selves. Life is simple, free and healthy. The break-ing-in of the heavy bush-dad hill land has bred a spirit of industry and social life second to none.

Freshness of Atmosphere

From the lush green pastures of the Plains, the road to Manawahe climbs abruptly the scarf of the first range, the steady pull continuing for five miles before the actual crest is readied. Its winding nature is perhaps its worst feature for the grade is gradual and may be taken with ease by most cars. The first noticeable feature is the coolness of the air, which becomes more invigorating as the climb continues.

Distant Vistas

Soon the steep hillside gives way to a series of rolling crowns through which the narrow road winds. Views: of the distant Elastern Bay of Plenty unfold as the road travels the top. Dim and distant the Cape, shows as a faint blue silhouette, White Island puffs contentedly oil the skyline, and Whale Island rears itself as a tall sentinel at the entrance of the Whakatane harbour.

Manawalie in the early days must have been a veritable forest of giants On all sides the. vast trunks of the one-time green monarchs, stand, bleaching and rotting in the sun. Some day they Avill fall, decompose, and finally rejoin the mother earth

from which they sprung. The keen air lias a bracing effect which is seldom known on the lower levels. The grass is luxuriant and green. As the road threads its way past the first few homes, one is struck with the great-heartedness of the first settlers whoi pushing their way through the bush tracks, decided to make this Mild, far-off forest-land

heir home

Story of Settlement

The well known story of privation, struggle and final triumph are written clear for all to see. The bush receeded before the axe and the flame, farms became established; more and more settlers arrived, founding a community and building up a district with an identity all its own —Manawahe. Dotted along the route the homestead's are backed by smiling green fields, healthy looking dairy herds and definite signs of progress.

Social Life

The school, the hall are practically all that the settlement has to show by of a centre. However both play an important part in the life of the residents. The socials themselves are definitely of the pre-jazz age. There is no clickiness, and all —father, mother, sister, brother, uncles, aunts and even grand-parents, join in the fun. Here Ave have the true spirit of early New Zealand, the memories of which so many of us look back upon with yearning and sighing. Manawahe has preserved them for us, for from this simple communal life has sprung the hospitality which all who have visited the district have remarked on. All are welcome, even the, casual passerby who thirsts for a 'cup and a sandwich.' Such a spirit stands in refreshing contrast to the independence and selfishness of the more settled areas.

The Early Settlers*

The original mountain forest, with its dim tracks, wild streams and difficult access was no attractive pro-

r '>niinued in next column)

position to the first settlers in the Bay. However, the wealth of timber growing there attracted notice and the first paltehas were sawmillers. The possibilities of the land appealed to a few. One is minded of such splendid old characters as Frank Kennon, well known for hi?! big lieartedness, his open house and incidentally his 'home brew.' He is typical of the earlier settlers.

A Soldier Settlement

After the Great War, the Govern' ment threw open a large section to soldier settlers, of whom a sprinkling still remains. Many who drew in the ballot were so disheartened by the nature of the bush country that they never took advantage of their allocation. In spite of all drawbacks, however the settlement became consolidated, until to-day it stands, a worthy and a growing asset to the district of which it is part. Slowly it* is developing, overcoming its difficulties and forging its destiny. Twenty years hence the tall white trunks will have disappeared; unbroken fields will reach to the bush fringe, but we trust the change will not deprive its settlers of the hospitable spirit for which they now have a wonderful name.