Let’s Go For a Walk. HIDDEN VALLEY AND ITS BEAUTIES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 58, 1 December 1934, Page 6

Let’s Go For a Walk. HIDDEN VALLEY AND ITS BEAUTIES

Bush, Hill, and Stream

Choose for this outing a blue, summer afternoon that will lengthen into a light, calm evening, and take a Hutt Valley bus as far as the railway crossing just this side of Petone station. If you alight and follow a left-hand road to its deep bend under the hill, and then leave it for a steep little path leading up to the right, the way will take you over a tiny bridge that spans a flower-strewn stream and up through the bush. This is an old track and whistling birds perch rakishly on eyeless lamp-brackets that once lit the path at its leafiest corners. A quarter of an hour brings you to the road again, now at the brow of the bill. To the east lies the broad Hutt Valley, the river a far stream of silver below the long blue ranges that stretch from the Tararuas’ peaks to the white speck at Pencarrow Head. The road K oes on along the hilltop, curving oyer and round and along the crest, offering at every turn fresh views of the sapphire harbour and, as it mounts higher, on the one hand the stately heads of Mt. Victoria and the Tinakori Hills, and the city itself, where a hundred windows flash back the sun, on the other seemingly endless, uninhabited ranges piling one upon another to the north west. From this road Sonnies Island looks like some great four-cornered fish with the historic Maori burial ground as its tail The little tapu island is in the foreground, and looks strangely unfamiliar in its new position. After passing through the township of Korokoro (it boasts a school and firestation at least) the road leads past sunny farms and sombre trees, rugged hil] slopes and velvet, daisied sward, patches of white lilies and purple fox gloves, till it ends abruptly among green pastures. There is neither track nor notice to guide the wayfarer, but across the field to the left and down the hill some fifty yards, is a stile leading in to the reserve A narrow track between breasthigh bracken dives steeply down into a thickly bushed valley. This track makes a fine day desirable—experience has taught that it can be a knee-deep torrent. From half-way down the lull a glimpse is seen of the sheet of water below— only the Petone waterworks, if you read tiie moss-grown tablet on its walls, but for all that a picture worth seeing as it tranquilly mirrors the trees and hills above it. At the foot of the path is a clearing. A few steps to the right and the roar is deafening as the overflow waters cascade in white sheets over the dark rocks to a gurgling pool and into the bed of the stream. In early summer the wild cherries are a mass of bloom, later the St. John’s wort is bright in black and red regalia; all the year round the bush is green, and full of bi Follow the stream now, till the bush “ives place to bare, steep hillsides that have an awesome beauty of their own. An hour more brings you unexpectedly to journey’s end near the woollen mills a t Petone, And so out to (the Hutt road, into a bus, and home. —J.F.

NATIVE BUSH IN HEART

OF WELLINGTON

Here is a brief walk which perhaps not 50 per cent, of Wellington inhabitants have covered, although it is so close to the city. Leaving Boulcott Street just past the Church of St. Mary of the Angels Allenby Terrace turns off to the south, and is a gradual asphalt path up to Garden Terrace. Allenby Terrace runs at the back of the Presbytery and there is a steep bank with native bush on a miniature scale. What has once served .for a railing—a few sticks with a bit of rope—is now in hopeless decay. The rope is weather worn and disintegrated, the sticks are down and most of the repe lies on the ground. The edge of the path is badly in need of repairs and a light handrail would be an improvement to the surroundings and a protection against accidents. . The path takes a turn to the right leading directly to the Terrace and there are two sections of steps, the first narrow and the second wide, all in brick, which indicates the age of their laying. There are in all about 80 steps to the landing just below the Terrace and this part is in good repair. Proceeding from the Terrace south and up Salamanca Road you come to McKenzie Terrace, a more recent addition to the streets of Wellington. The outlook from the end of the street is beautiful indeed, a lovely view of the ’city and harbour being obtained. On the northern side of this street is an old cemetery, beautifully situated with Victoria College in the background, but the appearance of the cemetery is pitiable. The ground is strewn with long grass and aniseed and bundles of old withered tree boughs. The fence consists of some 6 feet postswith two railings, some of which are broken, and where the fence goes up over the hill and was at one time wired off, are a few old posts and broken, tangled wires. It would cost very little to make this spot a place of beauty and when we think

“Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid Some heart once pregnant with eelestral fire; Hands, that the rod of Empire might have swayed, Or waked to extacy the living lyre.” perhaps others will think so too. — Observer.

The environs of Wellington offer rich possibilities for pleasant halfday rambles. Readers arc invited to contribute descriptions of favourite walks. These will be published, accompanied whenever practicable, by “Dominion” photographs. Contributions, which will be paid for at space rates,

must not exceed 400 words.

I Previous “Walks” appeared in issues of November 10, 14, 16, 17, 21, 24, and 28.]