Miss Marsh Finds “Atmosphere” In Northland

Northern Advocate, 27 February 1941, Page 4

Miss Marsh Finds “Atmosphere” In Northland

Travelling New Zealand to obtain atmr sphere and facts for the letterpress of a book on the Dominion for international circulation, Miss Ngaio Marsh arrived in Whangarei on Tuesday and left by train this afternoon for Russell and the Far North. The New Zealand book is to be one of a series published in England, entitled the “British Commonwealth in Pictures,” and is to be translated into the languages of all allied and neutral nations.

Well illustrated, the publication will tell the story of New Zealand in pictures, letterpress being kept at a minimum.

For the entire work. Miss Marsh has been limited to 12,000 words.

Historic Bay of Islands

She feels that the Bay of Islands, with its historic associations, will claim much of her attention while she is in Northland.

In her itinerary—an elastic one—she has provided for five days in the Bay district.

From there she will cross to Kaikohe and travel via Opononi through the kauri forests to Dargaville. Originally she had intended to return south immediately from Dargaville, but there is a possibility that she may visit Whangarei again. Yesterday afternoon she interviewed Mr James Cross, the noted authority on Maori matters, and later saw something of the Whangarei district by making a short motor tour as far afield as Kamo in the North and Waipu in the south.

In an interview with the manager of the Kamo coal mine (Mr J. Mackinson). Miss Marsh learned with some surprise of the extensive coal seams that extended below the surface, and inspected maps showing the complicated system of roadways beneath the surface along which the coal is brought out.

It was the invitation of Mr Mackinson to show Miss Marsh through the mine that prompted her to think of paying Whangarei a second visit.

“I have never been down a coal mine,” she said, and admitted that the urge to explore was sufficient to overcome the slight claustrophobia from which she suffered.

Kamo Springs

“It’s just like first-class soda water,” she remarked, after sampling the water at Kamo Springs. At the springs she saw opportunity for the building of a resort that could be a great attraction to visitors. She felt it a pity that Kamo springs had not been better developed. The romance of the Scottish settlement at Waipu was particularly interesting to Miss Marsh, who also comes from Highland stock. Accompanied by two members of “Advocate” literary staff, she inspected the memorials at Waipu and also interviewed Mr D? H. McKenzie, as one of the typical descendants of those who made the historic migration from Scotland to New Zealand via Nova Scotia and Australia. “Fascinating,” Miss Marsh commented, as she caught glimpses of Northland seascapes.

She likened the rugged coastline of the Whangarei Heads to the Australian Dolomites.

Maori Element Important

Miss Marsh plans to make a general article about the Maori race, and feels that the Maori element of New Zealand is a most important one.

Between the Highlanders and the Maori there seems to be an affinity, Miss Marsh said. The close tribal connection of the Maori was similar to the clan loyalties of the Scots, and both races had in common a traditional hospitality. . Tribal feuds of the Maoris were not dissimilar to the inter-clan skirmishes of Highland history. Much of what Miss Marsh sees in the North and in other other parts of New Zealand will, in all probability, not be featured in her book.

With the limitation of letterpress she will probably be able to do little more than give an atmosphere; but she is determined to have that atmosphere correct.

Incidentally, Miss Marsh believes that the real character of New Zealand is to be found in the small towns. She is making every endeavour to have the photographic material for the book collected in New Zealand, and not from overseas agencies, and hopes to have it illustrated along the lines of “Lilliput.” “We must make the book arresting, so neutrals, picking it up, will feel compelled to read it,” she said.