Southland To West Coast On Horseback

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29802, 19 April 1962, Page 11

Southland To West Coast On Horseback

In three weeks and three days during January and February a man and his wife with a young boy travelled 378 miles on horseback from Southland to the West Coast through some of the most mountainous country in New Zealand. They have given a delayed account of their journey on learning that hundreds of holidaymakers, who talked to them along the route, would be interested to know whether they reached the journey’s end.

Mr and Mrs T. H. Coghlan and Dennis Pennington, of Reefton. with Miss K Coghlan, of Christ: huroh. went to Braxton Hill, Mossburn, and there bought four horses— Jaoko, Dixie, Starr and Braxton for the journey A young sheepdog—Nell—also joined the party Preparations took a week because Dixie was inclined to rear, threw two men on tne station, and had to be broken; horseshoes had to be shaped and case-hardened, and much local knowledge had to be gleaned The journey began on Sunday, January 14, with a short ride of only 15 miles to West Dome station because the party became interested in a big cattle muster and also watched a round-up of unbroken horses destined for rodeos in Invercargill. Next day the ride be?an in earnest with a trip of 30 miles to the Ashton hut- in about nine hours. Braxton had a bruised frog, was very lame, and became worse next day as the trip continued from the boundary of Mount Nicholas station.

So when the party reached Lake Wakatipu, Braxton and Miss Coghlan had to be left there. Loading the other three horses on to the lake steamer Earnslaw for the crossing to Queenstown was an event watched and photographed by most of the 490 tourists on the boat. They were the first of the many who wanted to know all about the journey. From Queenstown, the route led to Arrowtown, then up to Billy creek and the Wanaka track. The rocky, rough country (with old gold diggings the only sign of previous habitation) also brought the unexipected handicap of no wood to boil the billy, so the riders drank water. But there were plenty of wild gooseberries. Skirting the Crown range, the party camped at Glendhu Bay (with hundreds of other campers who also wanted to know the story) and then moved to Wanaka, Hawea. and then up to Makarora. From Boundary creek the riders travelled to the Burke hut. on the Haast road.

The scenery had improved immensely. Native bush, native birds (including kiwis

and pigeons) and rushing streams made the West Coasters feel much nearer home. They were impressed by timber lorries, carrying logs so big that two made a load, which daily made a 100-mile trip from the forest to Luggate, near Lake Wanaka. They also noticed the heavy dews compared with the dry mornings of Otago.

And so the riders continued to Haast township and then turned north for six miles up the new road but moved to the cattle track. They expected easy going, but cattle had not used the route for two years, so it had narrowed to a “goat track” and involved dismounting to get over slips and wash-outs, fording swollen steams, and other discomforts up to the Blue river. Subsequent overnight stops were made at the Paringa river, Karangarua river. Fox river, and Gillespies Beach. The trip might have continued by horseback all the way, but the Coghlans wanted to enter the horses in the Reefton show, so they were railed from Ross Though leg weary, they won a first and two thirds

Mr and Mrs Coghlan and Dennis Pennington completed a journey of which they are proud. But what impressed them most was the interest of hundreds of residents and holiday-makers they met all along the way and repeated requests for a letter when the trip was over.