LAKE WANAKA.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XVII, Issue 836, 21 April 1885, Page 2

LAKE WANAKA.

Albert Town, April 20. On Thursday night last about 9.30 Messrs Norman’s new house, which was nearly finished, was found to be on fire. There was also 60 odd bags of wheat stored in the building, only a part of which was saved, and is of use for pig-feed only. The timber for the floor had been brought in that day ready to lay down, otherwise it might have been saved. The walls being built of dry dirt, the same as some houses at Bannock- , burn, sustained very little injury and can be roofed again. There was no insurance on the building. Nobody had been near the building for over three hours previously, and rats gnawing loose matches is the only accountable reason for the fire. I understand that about 80 ferrets have been > liberated on the Makarora Park station. What glorious times they will have amongst the wingless birds, of which there are plenty. Ferrets have been turned out for years past on some runs in Southland, but we do not hear whether they have done any good or not. The rev. Mr M'Pherson, the Anglician minister stationed on the Upper Waitaki, has been touring Lake Wauaka and while at Makarora held service and christened some children, seven of which were in one family. Many persons are wondering whereabouts Mr Robert Moffatt’s new hotel at Makarora is to stand. It stands on a small delta of debris scarcely half-an acre in extent, which has been washed down by the Waterfall Creek. A township has here been surveyed for about 40 chains along the Lake, but Mr Moffat’s house is about a couple of hundred yards from the head. There is “Brown’s Waterfall” in sight of the house, which is high enough to give a good pressure of water in case of fire, and will be utilised accordingly. The waterfall is named after a popular Pressman, well-known to most of your readers. A track will be cut up to it, so that tourists can enjoy a natural shower-bath. I lately had the pleasure of examining a small lake which is within a couple of miles of the Cattle Flat, and a short distance from the road which goes through the Hospital Flat. It is several acres in extent, and one-half of the edge is surrounded by precipices which are wooded to the water’s edge. The other half is fringed with flax and raupo. There are numbers of large trees in the water which no doubt were killed by fire and then fell in. There are a lot of small fish and some eels in it. There are numbers of small ducks on it. The water is dead, but there is a stream always flowing from it, part of which runs underground, which is caused by the trunks of trees falling across and being subsequently covered with soil and vegetation. I consider that this lake is well worth visiting, especially as a day’s ride from Pembroke easily covers the distance there and back, and horses are always available at Mrs Russell’s. Nearly all the harvest is gathered in, which is somewhat earlier than last year. Thrashing is now in full swing. There are good crops, but the prices are low. A syndicate is being formed for the purpose of putting the s.s. Venus, from Lake Wakatipu, on the Hawea Lake. The matter is in the hands of energetic men, so there is every likelihood of the affair being carried through before the year is out. There was also some talk of potting the same vessel on Lake Wanaka.