HIGH COUNTRY IN FICTION

Press, 25 August 1979, Page 17

HIGH COUNTRY IN FICTION

Stations. By Philip Temple. Collins, 1979. 216 pp. $12.95. (Reviewed by Roy Sinclair)

“Stations” is the story of two fictional, though very probable, characters, David and Agnes Stronach, who have ventured from the Scottish Highlands to establish a new lite in the Canterbury High Country. This is Philip Temple’s second novel. The first, “The Explorer” published in 1975, followed a series of quality photographic books. Mr Temple’s writing seldom strays far from the mountains. Indeed, it was during a climbing trip to Arthur’s Pass in 1957, shortly after arriving from the United Kingdom, that young Philip Temple discovered a panacea for homesickness. During the intervening years he has been on numerous notable expeditions, both in New Zealand and overseas.

In “Stations,” the author attempts to portray High Country life as it was in the 1860 s. David and Agnes, who are newly married, arrive at their new home Ben Griam which is situated beneath the mountains of the Awahau (Or Rangitata?) and set about developing a relationship between each other as well as with their environment.

David and his right-hand man, Sandv McGregor, no doubt based on the real

Sandy McLeod ot Mount Peel, build up a thriving sheep run. Agnes establishes a home as well as adding to the family’s numbers. All this is achieved in conjunction with the trials and problems that one would expect to exist in a desolate mountainous environment, some two days’ waggon journey from the nearest large town. The story reads much like »n account of ‘ early Canterbury lite. 1 found myself exchanging fictitious names for the real ones; Brewster as Samual Butler, and Bexley, which is probably Timaru. . Consequently, the characters are no more real than those in any real historical account. It is not until towards the end that they come alive, and Philip Temple at last, even if a little late, demonstrates his writing skills.

The Stronachs, David and Agnes, have their achievement through nard work to look back on. Their children are born to their new home and thus have a feeling of belonging to the mountains which their parents find hard to share. The development of these ideas, along with a family tragedy bring the book to a satisfying conclusion. The jacket painting of Mesopotamia is by Austen Deans and it appropriately illustrates the area on which Philip Temple has based his novel.