Holiday Letters

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22344, 15 February 1936, Page 4 (Supplement)

Holiday Letters

ON A FARM

Dear Miss Morton, — A little while ago I went for a long holiday to a farm where dad was work'ng. The owner gave us a little sick iamb, which he thought wouldn't live very long, but we kept It warm and fed it with a bottle and it survived. We called him Tommy, and he used to follow us about everywhere. One & d ill? s'^str;ii.T°L b %pp.r, after the rain and splash! In went over his head! He was washed do ,Tl » little way but scrambled to the bank safely and gave some loud cries as he came hack to us. By the time it was some months old he used to butt us with his head and PU o > ne U "day e we were helpingdad d '?y sheep In the yard and he founda goat which he gave to us, but it ran away and its rope got tangled round a tree. Dad found it next day and it was e^,k""f ry : he Toward Christmas there is always the shearing to look forward to, and I likes to watch all the fun in the shed. Sometimes I used to sweep up the bits of wool, but most of all I liked to climb among the wool bales and play in the wool. I taught myself to swim and dive in the river and we used to have great fun for eels and other small fish. The Maori shearers used to catch heaps of . eeU * e often watched them. They would paddle upstream in the shallow creek and feel into all the holes in the bank with their hands. It seemed to take a very short time to fill the sack; then they would light a huge fire and cook them. Dad set an old black hen on some duck eggs and when the young ducklings were a few weeks old they wanted to go to the nwimp. The old mother hen became very worried over all their efforts to get there and she tried to lead them somewhere else each time. When at last they got their o*m way the mother hen perched on top of a tuft of grass in the mi<tfle of the swamp and fidgeted and talked to them the whole time and we could not help laughing. Once, Spring, the dog, went to chase the ducklings, but the old mother flew at him ana jumped upon his back. Poor.Spring was so frightened and ran away with his tail between his legs and the hen upon his back, and she held on for such a long time. He never tried to chase chiclcens again •- Jill Hosking, Maraetai (age 9J). SEASIDE I have been staying at Narrow Neck tor three weeks. Have you ever been there I There is a raft there on which is a diving board, but I cannot dive properly yet. _ 1 hope at the end of the season I will be able to. I like diving through the monster waves. , . , On either side of the beach are rocks, which contain many pools. In them are many shellfish, including limpets and sea-snails. How funny limpets are when they crawl along! A friend of mine has an uncle who makes us tiny boats which we sail in the rock pools. Rita and I often build sand-cars and sandboats. Last night I made a splendid sandcar. I put some red straw for the back light and red paper for the_ front ones. The steering wheel was a piece of wood twisted round at the end. I had sand doors which I pushed out to go out and in to go in again. I pretended it ws.s the latest model in cars. Sometimes we play shops and_ I always have home cookery. I make pies with an old cream carton and mould out biscuits and fancy cakes with a lid. I thoroughly enjbyed my holiday and feel all the more ready for school after it. — Yours sincerely, Philippa Morgan, Jellicoe Avenue, Tuakau.

A TRIP TO TOKAANU

Dear Miss Morton, — To-day I went to Waihi, Tokaanu, and, as it is a place not many people visit, | thought you would like to know about it in case you haven't been. At the beginning of the township drove along a very narrow road bordered on either side by swamp. Small houses were scattered here and there and we always seemed to be coming across litters of pip; which ran squealing across the road when we tooled the horn. We received a rwy : -% hearty welcome from the little Maori child* ren who were playing on the road, ud among shouting and handwaving we mad* our way to the sawmill. On our left was a high wooded hilb down which crcshed a magnificent waterfall. It fell from about 200 ft., and I could have spent an hoar gazing at its awe-inspiring beauty. It had not been spoilt by the hand of man and it poured over the rock in 3 glorious cascade, showering its spray over the ferns and shrubs at the edges. • 'S-v We then turned to the sawmill and for the first time in my life saw a tree cut into the shape and size that is used for building houses, and as I gazed at the men working I wondered if they ever thought what the houses would look like that used the Wood that they milled? I will not attempt to describe how the wood was cut, but will just say that I was very impressed and will always remember how the wood is milled. Years ago mother and daddy camped beneath the waterfall, and to the delight of all the Maori children they gave them rides on the side of their car. As daddy was talking to one of the Maori men, and telling him that things hadn't changed much since he had last been there, the Maori then said that he remembered daddy and the rides they used to have on the car. Wasn't that a coincidence? —I remain, your sincere penfriend, Patricia Hutchison, 27 Cliff Road, St. Heliers Bay (age 14). , AT NARROW NECK . , v We have had a lovely time these holidays jroine to various places and swimming at 3ifferent beaches. One lovely day was spent at Narrow Neck. It was a glorious sunny day, the deep, fine sand glistened and the bluey-green waters sparkled as the rippling waves came breaking on to the beach. Having chosen our shady spot under a big pohutukawa tree, which was growing out of the side of a clay H3»k and in full bloom, my brother and I started round the rocks on an exploring walk. Coming to many pools we saw many periwinkles, hundreds of pretty striped shells and a number of empty oyster and mussel shells. Here and there rocky re*fs jutted out into the sea as the white spray washed over them. ; A fair number of people and children.were in swimming and others diving off the raft that was a good way out. It was rather good in swimming, splashing one another and trying to sit on the sand as the tide was coming in, but it was impossible, for the tide kept moving you. After our swim we had lunch, then a sunbath, and got thoroughly sunburnt. Some of the people were sunburnt as brown as Maoris, but others new to the sun were as pale as white hollyhocks; Just before we went for a second swim my brother and I made a big sand-castle, decorating it with white curved shells; we also .dug a moat round it and tunnels running through it, making it look like a proper old style castle. r : Just be fare dusk, we made our way homeward, feeling very tired but happy after our jolly day at the beach-—Yours sincerely, Shirley Sugden, 15 Gladstone Road, Mount Albert (age 11).