DROVER'S EXPERIENCES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20929, 20 July 1931, Page 7

DROVER'S EXPERIENCES.

EARLY DAYS RECALLED. NAPIER TO WHANGAREI. ' \ * A stock drover with many a long and arduous drive to his credit in the early days is Mr. M. Whitelaw, of Whangarpi, who has lived in the North Auckland district for the past 60 years. - One of Mr. Whitelaw's experiences was the driving of a large number of sheep from Napier to Whangarei, over 42 years ago. The drive occupied three months.With a companion Mr. Whitelaw drove to Napier from Whangarei in a waggonette with only the one horse and several dogs. They were joined at Napier by two other men, and d()00 sheep were started on the long trek. They were taken over the Mohaka River, which was not theij bridged, to Rangitaiki, through Taupo, Litchfield and Cambridge to Auckland, and then to WTiangarei, via Riverhead. " "The sheep arrived in. better condition than when they left Napier," Mr. Whitelaw said. "Wo lost a few at Mohaka, where they ate some poisonous weed. Near Rangitaiki the pumice dust was so dense that, wo had to tie handkerchiefs over our faces, and at one time the waggonette was lost in the dust for over half an hour. In some parts we had to carry water for ourselves and the dogs.

In tho pumice country we had to put small leather boots on the dogs' feet for their protection. When wc reached Lake Taupo all our efforts could not stem the rush. Tho sheep crowded on top of each other and we lost 100 head.

"A trick to get cheap mutton was played bv Maoris at Taupo," Mr. Whitelaw said. "We noticed the sheep parting aod walking round some brush. Wo stopped to investigate and found three sheep down a deep hole which had been covered over with the brush. I was lowered down and we hauled the sheep up. On looking around I was horrified to find that- I was in the company of a small colony of tuatara lizards. Although they were harmless they were by no means pleasrvnfc, company and I was glad when they hauled mo up into daylight." , Mr. Whitelaw took the first cattle up to the head of the Mokau River in Taranaki. Ho drove 250 head of bullocks from Waitara and through the bush to a clearing of 3000 acres. To "find .his way out he had to follow a trail he had blazed. Another long drive which Mr. Whitelaw recalls was from North Cape to Whangarei, with ( 500 head of cattle. Food supplies, which were to have been sent from failed to arrive, and the four men started back with only a 71b. bag of oatmeal. They fed on toheroas for three days when driving along the Ninety-Mile Beach.

As there wore no places to yard the cattle in the sandhills tho driving was done at, night, and while two men slept during tho daytime the other two kept watch while the cattle fed. Tho trip from North Cape to Whangarei occupied about, three weeks. Mr. Whit claw brought cattle through from Whangarei to Auckland every month. 3'n thoso days the saloyards were near the junction of the Great South Eoad and Manukau Road. After the sale Mr. Whitelaw would stay at Deyonport and set out. next morning to ride back to Whangarei in one day, swimming tho river alongside hia horso at Mangawai.