SWIRLING WATERS

Northern Advocate, 25 July 1935, Page 8

SWIRLING WATERS

WHEN FLOOD WAS ON. POSITION AT HOTEO. 1 EXPLORER’S EXPERIENCES. [Special to "Northern Advocate"! AUCKLAND, This Day. In a baby car two newspaper representatives set out on Tuesday morning to “do” the flood in the north. They reached Hoteo, on the main highway to Kaipara Flats, and saw enough to convince them that a flood was on. Except for three or four instances, where the road was flooded to a depth of from five to eight inches, there had been no hint thus f&r of what was to be met with later. The run as far as Tauhoa presented no inconvenience or difficulties beyond requiring a careful look-out for slips, of which there were many, none of them sufficiently big to cause interference with traffic. Small stretches of road were flooded, but taken all through the road was clear. However, on the low-lying areas at the roadside there were lakes varying in size, and the fact that only the tops of clumps of flax and tea-tree were to be seen was evidence that the water was many feet deep.

At Tauhoa the newspaper men learned that the Hoteo railway line was flooded, that the main highways bridge was covered to a depth of several feet, and that all traffic was blocked. The driver turned the car and headed for Hoteo.

Nowhere in the North on Tuesday was the flood more pronounced than at Hoteo, and at mid-day yesterday the conditions were the same. Here the valley, where the Hoteo bridge has to be crossed, within a mile of the railway station, ’was one great mass of water. Yesterday the bridge could not be seen and residents estimated that the depth of water covering the bridge was eight feet.

From the surrounding rain-soaked hills water rushed down to this lowlying area. Fairly tall trees, tea-tree, and other bush were completely swamped, and the two newspaper men, together with a lad named Steenson and Mr F. Leighton, farmer and owner of a flat-bottomed punt, had an experience in rowing across the “lake” to the Hoteo railway station. Not only was progress slow because of continually meeting with tree-tops, which were just under the water, but Mr Leighton had only one small oar—and it was partly broken. To make 'a straight course against the stronglyrunning river was impossible, and the trip to the station, which under ordinary conditions could have been made in a few minutes, took the best part of an hour, and a landing, or rather’ a fording, was made about three-quarters of a mile from where the party had intended to land.

The railway lines were not visible either at the station or a long distance from it. , They were completely submerged to a depth of many feet, while portion of the station building and the goods shed were covered. Two members of the railways staff were at the station. Early in the afternoon they had arrived on an engine with a small punt and after getting as near as they could to the station, rowed the remainder of the trip in the punt. They found the station building, or half of it, “just above sea level.” Only the telegraph poles indicate the route of the railway lines and highway. In places only about four feet of 25ft telegraph poles could be seen. Having had one experience of the strong current running, Mr Leighton on the return trip in the punt took a course to “leeward” and thoSe in the boat had a little luck as they reached a stretch where the telegraph wires were a few inches above the water. Taking hold of the wires those in the punt pulled the boat ■ along and incidentally maintained a straight course, the return trip being made in better time than the outward one. Residents of Hoteo receive their supplies from Kaipara Flats, but neither the butcher nor baker called on Tuesday, they being unable to get through. Good housewives who look ahead were busy yesterday afternoon making bread and scones. No mail was delivered, and residents were not in hopes of getting any food supplies or mail for two or three days. A cattle dog owned by Mr Leighton at Hoteo had a trying time. Unknown to those in the punt who were going over the “lake” to the Hoteo station, the dog followed, and against the strong current of the river he must have been desperately tried. It was only when the punt was within a few yards of the station that Mr Leighton noticed the dog, and he then lifted the animal into the boat. It was in an almost exhausted condition.