SPORT IN SOUTH WESTLAND

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22344, 7 March 1938, Page 17

SPORT IN SOUTH WESTLAND

♦ fishing trip by AEROPLANE POSSIBILITIES” OFFERING *1 am more than ever convinced that South Westland offers wonderful possibilities for the sportsman and the OT ,u-jst-. There is nothing in America, , Continent, or in England, to c . t ,re with the beauty of the forest arm mountain, raw certainly, but truly beautiful." That is the opinion expressed to "The Press” in an interview by Mr F. F. Boustridge, a well-known businessman of Greymouth who, with Mr J. H. Hayton, also of Greymouth, has just returned from a 10 days’ holiday at the Paringa river. ‘‘Once communication is made easier, certainly when the Haast road is through," added Mr Boustridge, “the South Westland route to Otago will become known as the most beautiful drive in the world. The visit to South Westland undertaken by Messrs Boustridge and Hayton had as its primary purpose an investigation into reports that quinnat salmon were running in many of the rivers and creeks there, but they could find no trace of this fish. Bad weather and the lack of a suitable craft prevented any attempt to establish as a fact the presence of big-game fish, including swordfish, off the coast. Messrs Boustridge and Hayton left Greymouth by aeroplane and landed on the beach at the mouth of the Paringa river. 15 miles south of Bruce Bay, the whole distance having been flown in less than one and a half hours, excluding stops afHokitika and Bruce Bay to deliver mail and goods for settlers. Twenty-eight Trout Taken Headquarters were established in a hut near the whitebait canning factory on the Paringa river. “In four days,” said Mr Boustridge, “we landed 28 fine brown trout, averaging six pounds in weight, which is worthy of any recognised trout river in the Dominion. The heaviest fish weighed 10£lb, while fish of nine, eight, and seven pounds were numerous. We saw many larger trout, but missed them.” The trout taken, said Mr Boustridge, were in excellent condition, and were splendid fighters, one taking a quarter of an hour to land. Artificial bait was used, as the Paringa is not suitable for fly fishing. The river itself is fairly fast running and generally clear. It winds lor many miles from the alns towards the sea, through dence and beautiful bush, with occasional clearings. At its head several glaciers are visible. The river is fordable in many places, A trip into the bush revealed the presence of numerous deer, and the vicinity abounds in wild grey and paradise duck, as well as native pigeons and a few kakas, or native parrots. These kakas, once very plentiful on the West Coast, are now comparatively rare. Arrangements had been made for an aeroplane to pick them up at the mouth of the Paringa river seven days after their arrival and, before leaving Greymouth, their food supply had been planned accordingly. However, stormy weather prevented the machine from taking them out, and it was another three days before conditions were suitable for the aeroplane to -land. In the meantime, their food supply had failed. Rations Bon Short “For the last three days,” said Mr Boustridge, “we were reduced to three teaspoonsful of tea and half a loaf of 10 days* old bread. We had no butter, milk, or sugar. In fact, our meals com/jrisKhfried trout and stale bread. You ••'nay imagine how welcome was :the 'sight of the aeroplane, for we had tried, meantime, to walk out from the Paringa to Bruce Bay, although there is not so much as a track, let alone a road. We did .get some distance along the seashore, but heavy seas forced us to turn back.” “It was an unforgettable sight,” said Mr Boustridge, describing the view from the aeroplane, “unrivalled by what I have seen in America, on the Continent, or in England, but one must see it to believe it. Then, one may be pardoned for crying its praises. I am sure that if what South Westland has to offer in that direction were properly advertised, ‘ hundreds of tourists, New. Zealanders, and overseas visitors alike, would take away with them memories that will never fade.” The cost of the trip was only about £l3 each, not an exorbitant figure by any means for a sportsman’s holiday, as the aeroplane fares were naturally the heaviest item.