MAKING THE PAGE IN MANIOTOTO

Evening Star, Issue 18252, 17 April 1923, Page 8

MAKING THE PAGE IN MANIOTOTO

A THREE DAYS' TRAMP AT EASTER

[By A Casual Aecadian.]

Being disappointed at our inability to secure accommodation at Macraes for Easter Saturday and Sunday,_ and therefore having to abandon our intention to walk again from Hyde to Palmerston, my friends and I decided to take the train to Ranfurly, coach it thence to Naseby, and begin a walk from Naseby to Lauder via Wedderburn and St. Bathans. There was really no need to go right into Naseby and add two miles to tho journey, but we thought it was just as well to sec how the old place waa . looking while the opportunity was at haV.f 1 , The two banks (New Zealand and New South Wales) have now been removed, and 'are in course of re-erection at Ranfurly, and those, together with a former hotel, which has also disappeared and is replaced hy n reserve containing a soldiers' memorial, have made quite a gap in the once busy little town of former days. Tho rateable value of the borough is now only £1,300 or thereabouts, and it is a great pity to see it gradually reducing in area. It has still, however, a fine brick post office, good school, county offices, hospital, two hotels, and Brown’s store, as also the ' Mount Ida Chronicle ’ Office, some small business promises, and a number of residential sites, well sheltered by tall poplars, etc., which, if more concentrated, would yet make it a very presentable little borough, and there is po reason why it should not attract visitors yet, as it is nicely situated and well sheltered, and could provide winter sports for many when the Curling season is in full swing. There are soma who hold the opinion that it would pay to sluice the town. Probably it would; but oven so, that would not moan its total obliteration. The curling clams would still bo there, and tho extra mining would keep a number of hands still employed—perhaps more lucratively—and lead to a concentration of the premises remaining, though the roadways would need to be diverted. But the happy old town can never again bo what it was. It was an easy tramp from Naseby to Wedderburn, ■along a good road, which, for a couple of miles, winds past the site of many old workings, which cover a much bigger area than one supposes when passing by coach or motor. The forest one passes on turning up hill to go to Wedderburn also seems to be much more extensive and of greater depth. It certainly is very dense, but one would not call it attractive. There are no pretty bits along the road thence onwards. A good stretch across a monotonous, tussocky flat, on the edge of the Maniototo Plain, then some uphill work past a pretty little stone homestead, with small orchard adjoining; later on a little picturesque bend, and a little later still the ten-mile stretch ends in the scattered hamlet of Wedderburn, where the good hotel kept by Mrs White is made doublv welcome by appetite and exercise. The "heavy rain which fell later on helped to induce sleep, | and when awakening in the morning the I barren mountains of yesterday, now snow- I clad, furnished a really splendid surprise in the way of scenery. We took our lunches with us from tho hotel, and got away again at 10 a.m., taking an easy grade up hill past the school, and later finding ourselves in high mountainbounded but pleasant-looking country, some of which appeal’s very fertile. White Sow Valley, from the viewpoint we traversed, seems deserving of a much prettier name. It has a good array of homesteads besprinkling it, and an air of prosperity that such an ugly name belittles to a ridiculous extreme. Idaburn, which, wo roach later on, is another pleasant-iook-ing locality. Its name, however, does not disgrace it; and while on tho subject of nomenclature, may I ask what objection is there to substituting something classical for Hogburn, Kyeburn, Sowburn, Wedderbnrn, White Sow Valley, etc. ? But to continue. As we trudge along across a flat wo fall in with an. old-timer in the district, and stop to have a talk; and incidentally learn something of tho early history of a former Dunedin magnate, who began his career in Bendigo (Victoria) and built up a splendid business afterwards in the “ Scotch ” City of the South—though, by the way, he was an Irishman, and not the only ono of his tribe, either, who helped to make Otago. A long uphill climb again, and at 12.30 we reach Hill’s Creek, where there are still about half a dozen tree-sheltered residences, a schoolhouse, and the old Prince Albert Hotel, now used for some other purpose. Evidence of formeiy activity still remains in the old workings adjacent, but the hall is gone, as is also the second hotel that was there some twenty odd years ago. Hill's Creek used to bo spoken of as tho highest surveyed township in New Zealand—2,oooft above sea level—but yon would not now call it a township. It was the stopping place for coaches on route from St. Bathans _ and Naseby in former years, and a lively enough little village in those days, where many a pleasant function was held. I ■remember galloping home more than once in the crisp light air of the morning across the Mamiherikia after a rollicking dance there, and I often think of tho shifts “mine hosts” were, put to to provide refreshments and accommodation on such occasions. It was surprising then also to find a galaxy of youth and beauty and talent adorning a hall in such a far-off locality, but it is like a dream now to look back and endeavor to realise it. We went into a cottage to ask for hot water j in make tea there, but were met with an itresistable invitation to have dinner, and were given the. finest meal we had alone the road. Our host and hostess were 5 really pleased to see a few strangers, and only those who have lived in the country can understand this feeiing. Hills Creek," it seemed to me, would make a good site for an inland summer resorte-a Karitano among the mountains. Our next stride took us along a plateau, and then downhill for a good spell. One of our party tried the Manuherikia for trout a while, but no fish were visible. There is a pleasant and picturesque flat and river gorge along here; and Mount St. Bathans towers up" aloft beyond the old Hawkdmi homestead, with it's long avenue of trees now showing autumn tints. Where did Mount St. Bathans get its name? Some old resident there many years ago endeavored to arrive at its origin, and was in formed that St. Bathan, or Bathenus, was a disciple of St. Columba, whose near relative. I think, was one of the Irish king.of Scotland in the dependency established, if my memory is correct, by Fergus Mac Ere (Corrupted to M'Gurk), King of Ualriada, in the North-west of Caledonia. It so. the name is not inappropriate, as the inhabitants of St Bathans formerly included a host of Irishmen. Getting a little closer to the high eminence of this _ lofty mountain, we cross a oouplo of bridges, essay another long climb, turn later downhill to the left, and are in St. Bathans township in time ior tea. 'this famous old mining town, which formerly Boasted two banks and about half a dozen sluicing companies, three stores, two hotels, etc., is not much different in appearance to what it used to be. One of tho banks has gone, some of tho companies are defunct, and about one-third of the premises have vanished from one sulo of tne street. One bank, now only used as an agency, is still there, but in a state of partial decay, as is also Hw Ballarat Hotel, now tenanted by a single lodger and without a license. But the old town is far from dead. Its deep workings are still being mined; it has two good stores, a nice post office, hall, school, several residences (including one or two of some distinction), and the good old Vulcan Hotel is still going strong, though Uncle Buly Thurlow and Dad would 1 do much missed by tho old hands. Wo spent a very pleasant evening there, and are going again next Easter if all is well. What glorious mornings and beautifully calm moonlights ono may realise up here in the autumn, and what happy-natured people are still hereabouts, though fewer than they used to be. The two veterans —Messrs M'Connochie and

Pyle—seem blessed with perennial youth in some respects, and give the lio to the adage that age is melancholic. Judging from our experience, the townsfolk are still able to knock up some happy nights in the old township, which was famous tor its cordiality in the days of old. Though less than a dozen were present in the hotel, we found three or four very passable singers among them, and had a fair sprinkling of up-to-date songs as well as several old choruses, such as * Ihe Old Folks at Homo,’ ‘Razors a’ Flyin’ in do Air,’ and other nigger melodies. Comic interludes were provided by a couple of returned soldiers, ono of whom, though of Irish extraction, was a great admirer of Aberdeen, and was demonstrating his affection for tho Granite City by continually apostrophising the one .Aberdonian among the company as ‘ Ma Hieland Hero.’ It was not as easy to get away from St. Bathans in the morning as it was to get into it in the evening. Leave-takings lasted somewhat long, and this also was holiday time. But mine host of_ the Vulcan (Mr Campbell) made up _ for it by giving us a five-mile spin in his car over the tailings and on past Cambrian. Thence we trudged a couple of miles and had lunch at a wayside creek, whore trout of small! sizo were darting about. Thence on, viewing the barren Hunstan Range away to the right and the* Manuherikia away to the left, we jogged along serenely over a good flat road with little of interest on either side till wc neared Becks, where a plantation or two in the distance deceived us into anticipating a township instead of a school and a few homesteads, A mile or so afterwards the White Horse Hotel and ono or two other premises and plantations were passed, and we had left Becks proper behind us, to climb a slope and then negotiate a long, tussocky flat, which terminated in a. picturesque little locality showing some high locky bluffs, a couple of nice orchards, a d a farm near-by. Wo turned thence to the left, crossed a creek, saw a railway station ahead, and soon again were taking a well-earned rest in tho domicile of our genial host, Mr M‘Eldowney,_ who said he thought we were a party of swaggers. At a previous stopping-place someone said ho took us for wowsers, so whether we wore an air of respectability or the reverse is somewhat of a puzzle to us. “ Oh, wad some power the giftio gio us to see oorselves as others see us.” Here, at Lauder, wo fell in with some up-to-date representatives of backblock life in the persons of a couple of young harvesters. It would have been extremely difficult to distinguish them from city men. Kminliv well dressed, they seemed every bit as intelligent, ns many of tho latier. V>e enjoyed this tramp of forty-one miles in three days, and can recommend it to any other “townies” who are not afraid to risk the suspicion of being unable to afford any other means of locomotion, in these days of motor cars, than “ Shanks’s pony.”

But what compensations can , equal the exercise of tho despised “pony”? Is there any pleasure greater than a good well-earned rest after a fairly solid walk, accompanied also by a change ol company and surroundings, a pipe of peace., a social glass, and perchance a little music in congenial company? When to this you add tho light invigorating air of Central Otago in autumn you have lasted a slice of terrestial bliss that you cannot procure in any other locality in the whole wide world.