PIG-SHOOTERS’ ORDEAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 August 1929, Page 10

PIG-SHOOTERS’ ORDEAL

“HOPELESSLY LOST.” (Special to “Star.") AUCKLAND, August 1. To be hopelessly lost in desolate un populated country, drenched to the skin, and without food, "was the plighl of a party of Tepuke pig hunters, con sisting of Stewart List, L. Carpenter Lindsay Hall and Donald Lee. Leaving Pongakawa at 4.30 a.m. ot Sunday morning, the party went intc Crown property in the upper reaches of Otoromarakau Valley, between Lake Rotoehu and Matata. After four hours tramp through trackless country, they came across wild pigs. The chase led them into desolate country, thickly overgrown with fern and undergrowth. . Several pigs were secured, with the assistance of dogs. Turning homeward, the party upon mounting the ridge were alarmed on discovering that they' had lost their bearings. For hours, they made their way with game, rifles and dogs to the Otoromarakau stream, crawling and climbing through the roughest of rough country, over razor-backs and precipices. Finally, the river was reached. Then came the trying ordeal of travelling along the bed of the stream, frequently sinking knee deep, and sometimes waist deep in icy cold water. Many stops had to be made since one of the party was subject to cramp. Unable to leave the stream on account of the high precipitous cliffs, the weary men made slow progress, doing only two miles in four hours. After being bushed for 15 hours, till 12 o’clock on Sunday night, the party located a Maori whare. Upon reaching their camp two of the “hunters collapsed from exposure and exhaustion, but were revived with brandy, before a fire. Tepuke was reached at 7 o’clock next morning. The party on several occasions gave up hope of reaching civilisation.