DAWSON FALLS NOTES,

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 11 April 1928, Page 8

DAWSON FALLS NOTES,

SNOW LINE. Easter came in with beautiful weather, and on Good Friday the hostel began tilling up with those who had booked accommodation in good time. ’By 'Saturday evening every available sleeping space at. the hostel, the old house and the cottages was- in .occupa--1 tion. Several ear loads of touring motorists had to be regretfully turned away. Numbers of motoring’ family parties brought tlieir own camping gear, and a little mushroom-like sleejH ing tent alongside the ear provided a temporary home for several happy parties. Of the three Easter days, Sunday saw the largest crowd —and certainly the largest number' of cars ever assembled in the yard of the hostel. Parking the cars was quite a difficult matter as the splice available is rather limited, and anything in the nature of a “jam” is to be avoided. It speaks volumes for the organisation and care in handling such a stream of traffic on a one-way track—on which, 'cars were running up and down all day—that not the slightest accident occurred to mar the pleasure of the travelling public. If any grumblings were heard it was directed towards the regulations which govern the traffic rather than the administration of same.

One of the features of the Easter traffic was the runmer of ears from Auckland, Wellington, Hawke’s Bay, ami other distant parts of the island, and many of these were very disappointed that they could not secure aecorimrorlation for even one night to enable them to spend a Whole, day on the mountain.

On Good Fir day a great deal of climbing was done; several parties attempting the ascent. Those who climbed via Fantham’s Peak encountered cold and squally weather which Tammany cases frustrated their efforts. Among those successful were a. party which included Mr. and Miss Douglas, •of Hawera: Mr. Kelleher, Hawera; C. Harding, Kaponga; Brian. Haws on, Marram; 'Maurice Wickham. Hew Plymouth; and R. Parsons, of Wellington. They climbed by the Stratford route —which sheltered them from the cold southerlies and reaching the summit in four hours descended via •Fantham’'S in two and a quarter hours. As this was Miss Douglas’s first ascent Hie time was extremely creditable.

Mr. and Mrs. 'Cook, of Kaponga, accompanied by Mr. Merson, also reached the summit, as did Mr. J. M. May, of Castleeiiff, Wanganui, who accomplished a solo climb to celebrate his 65th -birth(lav.

Mr. Cave M'cAlister attempted to conduct, a party of ladies—Miss Oliver, Bates and Wilson—to the summit, but finding flic weather conditions most unfavourable on the .upper slopes the party decided to walk across to the North House, an exclusion which the ladies found enjoyable. Messrs. S. C. Hinton, J. Carryer and •Mrs. Goumbridge, all of Stratford, spent their week-end strenuously, their activities including trips to Kahui Hut. Lake Dive, Bell’s Falls, the summit, and North Eginont House.

On Good Friday the Misses Hawken, Powdrcll and E. Buist, accompanied by ■Messrs Rod Syme and Ivan Hurd, spent the day on the mountain. A Hawera party, consisting of Messrs. J. Dykes, R. Allan, S. Hawkins, J. Shaw, and F. Brown spent their Easter vacation on the mountain, their itinerary consisting of tramps to the north house, Curtis Hut, Stratford 'House, iFantham’s, and finally the ■summit.

Monday morning w« woke to grey skies and a fine drizzle which grew heavier as the (lay wore on. All the .campers had folded their tents and packed their gear and departed. All the plans for picnics and ascents have had to be abandoned. But in spite of the rain numbers of cars visited Dawson Falls during the day. Among these was a lorry load of children with their parents and guardians, wire endeavoured to make their day at the mountain as happy as possible despite the weeping skies.