MISSING LADS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1929, Page 5

MISSING LADS

A writer in the “Lyttelton Times” referring l to search lor the two missing lads says: A man who.-is, familiar with the country which the-.youths intended to traverse thinks-'that they are not now likely to be found, since the search parties have seen no 1 trace of them. It would ho almost- impossible for- them to get off the route. Leaving Lake Kanieri settlement they would take either road or launch to the Dorothy Falls jetty, whence a bush track leads round the north-east side of the lake and over a low range into the Browning Pass above Upper Kokatahi. They would follow the Browning and climb over the Styx saddle into the gorge of the uppeiyAralmra River. There used to he a good track along it up to Browning’s Pass, which was used as a cattle route in the early days. It is now heavily overgrown with sub-alpine scrub for some distance, and, if. as appears,, there was heavy rain, the hoys would find it a difficult proposition with their heavy packs. There" is a good lmt about a mile and a half below the Pass, where the youths would certainly stay a night. From here, there is a strenuous climb up to the Pass, and the first part of-.the descent is also very rough where landslides have carried away the track. It is a good two days’ tramp from the A rah ura Hut to Lake Coleridge, and the hoys would probably camp a night in the Wilberforee basin, below the Pass. There is a hut at Moa Creek, further down the Wilberforee -River, but to reach it entails crossing the river at its junction with Griffith’s Creek, to attempt which would be folly at the endtof a day’s march, especially-in the state which the rain must have: raised the river to. If they attempted this crossing it would be a- sufficient reason for their disappearance. , From here on it is dangerous tq proceed, except in the finest weather,, and horses are necessary for anything approaching safety. The Wilberforee, on its way to the Rakaia, passes through most rugged country. A number of creeks have to be forded on the south bank, which would be sufficiently exhausting and there are’ finally two difficult crossings required—one over Moa Creek, the other near the junction of the Wilberforee and the Harper. If the youths had camped anywhere along the route Lhe search parties would almost certainly have seen them, and the opinion was expressed that they have been carried away by the swollen river.