IN THE FAR NORTH.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 355, 15 February 1917, Page 3

IN THE FAR NORTH.

A POLITICAL PULL IN THE MUD. GREATNESS THRUST ON HEREKINO. ! A MINE!? EVENING. (By L. S. Fanning). It is a well-known story now how the weather imps played pranks on the Parliamentary j arty between Kaitaia and Herekino; how Par- ; nel-l’s member, Mr. J. S. Dickson, 1 wirh a short-handled shovel helped ! a bullock dray out of a sticky sid- : ing; how Parliament and Press, Commerce and Industry, pulled together in one hearty fellowship on the one rope when the cars went axle deep in a morass, and how the party took six hours to cover seven- . teen muddy miles. j It was a case of axes and spades ! for rough-and-ready engineering. There were many willing hands, but not all had been trained for bush road-making. One enthusiast climbed a steep scarp and hewed down some fronds of a young nikau which he. reverently placed on a swamp, as if strewing the marshy ground for a triumphal procession. One can imagine the amusement of the twoton Daimler at such bridging materials. It was like inviting Goliath to cross a chasm on a cobweb. However, more solid stuff was fed by others to the hungry swamp.

I TN THE LAND OF AUSTRIAN

i WINE. > Herekino had received only morn-ing-tea importance in the official programme. The party was to call at 10.30 a.m., on 23rd January, move on to Broadwood (twelve miles) for lunch and make Hokianga Harbour i before sunset. The weather compell■ed a halt for the night at kino, which is one of the places I where Austrians make wine. “Auisi trian wine” has a reputation which has resounded within the walls of i Parliament, bur apparently there I are some varieties which lack the j “devil” that has figured in some i stories about this vintage. | At 4 o’clock the conquerors en--1 tered a flagged field of Herekino and | exchanged cheers with the local public. Bv this time the visitors looked like tramps, except one gentleman wno had preserved a white shirt m all its glossv stiffness of starch. He nad done his part in tlm tvuging. but bv an art known <>nlv to hipiselt he had kept the j garment immaculate. And he did I this in all similar difficulties.

Little Herekino had the problem of feeding and housing a multitude. There were fishes (in tins) but no loaves. Some fifty or sixty folk found billets among the settlers, and the others had to be assigned to the local hall. The evening meal there was a memorable spectacle. In. the gloaming Colonel Bell sat astride a bench and opened tins of salmon and herrings and toheroa (the shell-fish of the Ninety-Mile Beach). These went well with sweet biscuits and lemonade among the famished. Then came dessert of canned. peaches and pears. A candle flickering in a bottle gave the company a suitable illumination. This jovial “tin-can party” included Mr. Vernon Reid (one* of the organisers of the tour), and Mr. Samuel (secretary of the Development Board).

“AND THE NIGHT SHALL BE FILLED WITH MUSIC.” Girls gathered in the evening for a dance—and the scene was perhaps unique in this country and perhaps in this world. One veteran was asleep on a bag of chaff. Several other tourists slumbered on benches against the walls. Others joined the dance,. and their muddy boots made a quaint contrast with the girls’ shoes. On the stage several, indifferent to the accordeon’s call and the patter and clatter of dancers, played cards. Just on midnight a Maori and an Austrian added variety by a fight at the back of the hall. They were persuaded to go outside where, they were assured, they would have more space and softer places for a fall. This argument was continued by Maori and Austrian factions till f a.m.

The dancing ceaseil at midnight, but only a fevz of the visitors remained to sleep in the hall. These had the cocoa-nut matting of r> cricket-pitch for a mattress, and they liked it—so they said. Others went to the “Star Hotel”—the line of cars in the field —and they curled up on the seats under coats and other wraps. HOW TO LIVE ON THE LAND. At 5 a.m.. a chauffeur and c members of Parliament made a sal ly from the cars and . stalked a Jersey cow, which was accompanied bv a calf.

| The member, bare-footed, held , the horns of the placid anima! , whose limpid eyes were filled with . mild wonderment, while the cal'' ; stood off in a . puzzled attitude ‘ which was pathetic to an onlooker, i The chauffeur worked skilfully an I ; soon filled a pint mug - for the billy i which had been boiled in a clum 1 ' ! of manuka near the spot where the ! Austro-Maori argument had drawn . to a close. Such was Herekino, of pleasan* ; memory. It was rather a pity—on ■ ; thought—that the adventure ende I i in unromantic but much-relished bacon and eggs between 7 and a.m. PEDESTRIAN v. CAR. The creep to Broaclwood durin ■ : die morning of the. 24th provided i some more pioneering exercise a ’ : several points where the rain had j put some wickedness into the clay i It was an arduous journey of twelv ■ I miles in three hours —but- there wa? consolation in beautiful Broad; wood’s welcome. The Kapa-Maori t had been nicely warmed up, and it was keenly relished (by some). There were brief speeches and wholeI souled cheers by the edge of the : forest—a stay all too brief. This j is one of the places where the grape | vine romps in luxuriant wildness in i the open. It climbs up. various trees and flashes its vivid green among the darker verdure. I Dunedin Central’s member. Mr. Statham, distinguished himself by a walking feat. He nearlv beat the party on the trek from Herekino to Broadwood. He went ahead expecting his car to catch him. Mile piled on mile and still he led. He was nearly in Broadwood before he was ; overtaken by the vehicle which had ■ been delayed, as others had been I by road difficulties. The walker | fared better than the car passen- ; gers, for the road wound through beautiful forest. He was honoured with three cheers when he stepped into the Broadwood Hall, at lunch time. PLEASANT HOKIANGA. Upward the party climbed among the verdant hills of Hokianga, where stock have superabundant feed in the paspalum. In the afternoon the procession was gladdened ! by the harbour, with its many arms reaching far inland. Kohukohu— Rawene—how dear these words are to every member of the party!

Each had reason to feel- that, h® was the prodigal son for whom the fatted duck, chicken and turkey had come to the oven — and these material delights are the least precious memory’. The heart and soul of Hokianga went out to the party. This rest by the rivers was a great comfort to the weary, and the parting had regrets which change of scene did not dispel. Vho has nota yearning to see Kobukohu and Rawene again and speak to the friends who came so suddenly and so firmly into one’s life; rar away, and ever near” was the feeling in many a heart that went southward. Those happy people of Hokianga have a kindly land and beautiful. He would be a poor soul who could not find there heart s ease, peace for the mind and plenty for the body. The journey on the 2, th was through the open undulating country of Okaihau, Waimate and Ohaewai to Kaikohe. The gentle, sweeps of hill and dale, varied by flats, gave this area a resemblance to the fertile downs of South Canterbury and north Otago. This is the region where the green domes of puriri in the pastures make a very pleasant shelter for . stock. Of course the verdant puriri serves for similar use and ornament in other northern districts, but the country traversed on the 27th seemed to have the best trees and groves. After lunch at Ohaewai Mr. Bollard (members for Raglan which includes a considerable part of the Waikato district) said: “We have good land in the Waikato, but it is not so extensive as yours. When I return I shall have to admit that you have a "better country. With a similar amount of equipment, and energy you will far surpass us.” A SMALL BOY’S LAMENT. Next day (the 28th) brought much good land into view, and it also gave the cars another, struggle with mud at several points in the Mangakahia Valley. At one sharp turn a car containing three journalists and a small boy elided over the edge of the road. The chauffeur mapaged to pull the front wheels around so that the car took a straight dive thirty feet, through a wire fence which acted as a brake. The runaway stopped against a log without overturning. If the car had gone down on either side of that spot all the occupants might have been seriously injured or killed. The casualty list included only parts of the ear and a bottle of. lemonade, of which the loss was bitterly deplored bv the small boy, who exclaimed: — “They’ve smashed the bottle and I paid for it.”

ON THE NORTHERN WAIROA. After lunch at Tangiteroria the majority of the party changed over gladly to a steamer for a run to Dargaville on the Wairoa’s broad stream, prettily fringed with weeping willows. Here the grape vine is a vagrant, and the fig also plays truant among native wild things. The river flats hold wealth for energy and they are backed by fertile hills. Any New Zealander can share Dargaville’s pride in the broad deep sweep of the W’airoa, which is a river of great destiny. IN THE KAURI TEMPLE.

| Dargaville had a brass band at ■ the waterfront to play the. visitors , in, and the streets were brightened :by line of flags. Speeches of wel- ; come were given before and after dinner, and altogether the tourists had abundance of testimony that the town was pleased to see them. On Sunday the majority of the party went by train and foot to Kauri Park by invitation of Mr. James Trounson. Here was a temple of nature, a great canopy of l green upheld by the huge columns of majestic Kauri, and the music ' was the murmur of the wind in the • leafy heights ; one could imagine ■ the trees sighing for their brethren who had fallen before the axe and saw—a sacrifice to trade and settle- ' ment. In the depths of the forest beside a great Kauri aristocrat, the ' party had lunch amid tree ferns and other verdure, by the kindness of local settlers. « It was a fall from the sublime to the material, but the material was well enjoyed. No memberV>f the party had ever been privileged to eat in a more beauti- : ful dining hall.. I It was mentioned that a portion of this easily accessible forest had been offered to the Government on reasonable terms, but the offer had not yet been accepted. Members oi the party, including journalists, spoke in favour of State acquisition provided that the conditions were equitable.

! MORE ROLLING DOWNS. i Next day’s run (the 29th) was through some admirable country of broad easy slopes, with a good surface. This daj’ the party had two luncheons —one ,at Paparoa and the other at Maungaturoto (about an hour after the other meal), but the incident did not perurb, the travellers, accustomed to taking food as it came. At both places the people had a cheeriness and sunniness which banished formality and made the visitors feel thoroughly at home. | On the pilgrims went to , Port ! Albert, and again they came into a land of plenty, where food and fruit- ■ (from the district’s well-known orch- ‘ ards) awaited them in the hall. Here again they were in a warmth of friendliness, which passed from i a meal to pleasant speeches, songs. > conversation, dance and sound i sleep. THE FINAL RUN.

i The final day’s run took in the ! Helensville Springs, the Muriwai ! Beach, the Huapai apple lands, the , orchards and vineyards of Hender- ! son. By this time the number of ears had fallen, to eleven, but six or seven cars (with members of the party that had returned by train ' from Helensville) joined in for the last stage—the welcome at the I Auckland Town Hall. Then came a banquet at which members of Parliament and journalists spoke pleasantly about their hosts (the North Auckland Development Board), and declared their belief in a prosperous future for a large population on the land North of Auckland city.