TOWNSHIP ISOLATED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23418, 7 August 1939, Page 8

TOWNSHIP ISOLATED

SUPPLIES BY PACKHORSE SNOWDRIFTS FEET DEEP NO DOCTOR FOR SICK MAN [by telegram—OWN correspondent] DUNEDIN, Saturday Residents of Waipori township, 14 miles from Lawrence, have had the unpleasant experience during the past few days of being practically without supplies of bread, butter, and similar provisions and of having a seriously ill man for whom a doctor could not be procured. Cut off by three or four feet of snow, their plight was becoming daily more and more serious, but yesterday a quantity of supplies was conveyed to them by packhorses; There is still no way, however, of medical attention being made available to the sick man.

With the lake covered by four inches of snow and the overland route to the township under several feet of snow, the task of relieving the township's plight was a difficult one. At about 9.30 yesterday morning two men on hacks, leading a packhorse each, left the power station in the hopes of meeting a similar expedition that had set out from the township at 7.30. Snow three and four feet deep was encountered by both parties, who kept to the ridges on their difficult journey. There were drifts of snow seven feet deep in places and the fences were completely covered. The party from the power station covered four miles in an hour and mot the expedition from the township at Supplies were transferred and tho return journey was made in fairly good time. The situation of the'man who is seriously ill has not been relieved, however, and it is stated that it is still almost impossible for a doctor to get to the township.