THROUGH THE BUSH

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 10

THROUGH THE BUSH

■During my stay at Stokes Valley we took a walk through the bush. After a long day of lying in the sun, we started on our walk. We followed a path through long grass, over a gurgling creek by means of a steppingstone, then through manuka shrub. Down at.the foot, pi a slope we found some tall, purple foxgloves that were growing wild. Hete the track dipped into the stream with a sly wink and disappeared leaving us to decide whether we would return or make our own path. So we went into-a htiddle and the decision was, to climb up from the valley to the top of the ridge. Once there to work along the ridge and theri down to the back of the bach. .-.•■.: "After much scrambling through gorse and prickly, tea»tree-we reached the crest pf the slope, but this was not the highest point. We pushed back gur tangled hair arid marched onwards.. Now and^thea. we brushed past tall grass, the edges of which cut across our harp arm& In patches we found small, clear "space entirely carpeted with curling moss, j From this delightful bed sprang long; bare ferns. These: were- brown, growing straight till three feet from the ground, then they formed three intricate curls from the stem. They reminded me of an ultra-modern design. "Bending below an overhanging bow we came to the brow of the hill after We had traversed its 'nose.' The view repaid us for the puffing through prickles. .We could see all Stokes Valley with its numerous fenced fields defined well in the clear light. Below a small valley began to sleep as the shadows tenderly tucked it in. The drowsy sun struck through a gap and lit up four silvery poplars to be a night-light for the tired, dusty road, i The little hills stretched out their! arms and yawned.' In the gullies beneath the tree-ferns that marked their courses, the creeks babbled a soft lullaby. ■'■"„'■■■'■,■ ; * "We could not waste much time so using a pine as a landmark, we con-j tinued. Many affectionate, creeping ferns clung to our feet. Supple tree-, lings sprang back at us. We walked along fallen forest giants and suddenly one of our party disappeared amidst rotten wood chips. Two silver birches stood deeply in leaf-mould. We slipped down clay banks where a sturdy daisy held obstinately. The lawyer-creeper menaced us. After having followed several falsie we, came into familiar grounds. ;As we reached the house the mdrepork began to call." -; "AUTE" (15). Island Bay. ; ■