RAMBLES IN THE KING COUNTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13946, 4 July 1907, Page 2

RAMBLES IN THE KING COUNTRY.

13y A Lady SpSciai,, NO. V. [Copyright.]

Leaving Te Ku'rti, we are still speeding upward, although a. few miles up the line there is some declivity after passing the' source of tho Oiigaruho. A charming feature of our beloved country is manifested in the, many beautiful rivers and streams which supply never-failing springs of pure, sweet Water. Especially is this the case in the King Country, where every ■verdant pasture and charming vale has its streamlet for the refreshing of man and beast. It was my lot one summer time to take » trip through Australia, and I was gWatly struck ivitli tins, contrast and camo back moro-tlian ever satisfied with my own country, which then appeared to me tho which I still maintain it really is. • ■■ However, among these many lovely ■ rivers and streams the Ongaruho offers a special study! in running waters as it pur- ' sues its course, from tho source to very near tho spot at which it empties itself, into tho Wnnganui river, close along the train line, or, rather, one should say tho train to Taumaranui runs along tho banks , of- the stream, winch it crosses as we approach tho Wanganui, throwing the river, which has hitherto been upon our . left hand, to our right, At or near the source of the Ongaruho , there is a 'little township Of that' name, which lias, so to say, been left stranded upon the line. lam justified in expressing it thus because not a. great while'since ■ Ongaruho was a ccntre of bustling life. It is now deserted save for a few timber . buildings which oould hot bo removed.. During the progress ot the Main Trlmk • [Railway line an interesting feature has I)een. tie moving on to the front,' as the (people constantly call it. Tho Government supply little houses—very funny little h0u663 from the point of view of a ;.■■■■■■ lady visitor from town. They are constructed of felt, and are put together in sections when a move is necessary. : Pro"bably tlioy arc very warm and cosy, but they are only a few feet in length and iwldth.' X think 7ft by 10ft is the measurement, andi in tin's structure a family! is often expected to live. The occupants supplement these dwellings in various . . ways—by canvas additions and sometimes iby corrugated iron or logs.. The chimney, which is at one end, is generally of corni-' gated iron, and large and wide. Besides Jliesa quaint little dwellings a great array of tents helps to swell the township. Several hundred persons are thus congregated at the. rail head wherever it may : Sc.' For the time being all tho life of a email town is in progress. There is a largo tent used as a school, and fitted twith movable decks and furniture, another far a library and meeting-house, and ,several places are fitted up as boarding-/ '.houses. These are indeed a study, and 1 sketched several, but find at impossible :do 'reproduce them here. Instead I must *ry io describe one of these establishments of which I took note. .! A largo placard nailed to a post above • a bank stated that the building was Mr • 80-and So's boarding-house and store., Tho main structuro was about 15ft long by 7ft or Bft wide, and was put togethor with rough boards. It had a pitch roof-and a ridge, pole, and tho apertures left for windows wero covered l with light canvas, nailed across in place of glass (a glass window is very Unusual). There was a narrow .chimney of tin at one end;of tho house, and some sacks-and bagging made . ,an extension at tho other end. It really 1 seomed a puzzlo whore tho boarders could go, but I was told.that not less than £1 per week was roadily paid fog-the privilege of sharing the comforts of a home such as that described. ' Tho oooking and food ai'o said'to be extremely good, and I c?n quite beliove it from one or two meals which I shared in similar places.,' The great, procession to tho front stopped a long while at Ongaruhe, itnd tho ; .. place became quite a homo for many

■ people. The situation was more favour-' ablo than most, as there is some flat land i: not altogether in the rough. However, the f order camo at last to "Move on." Houses were taken, to pieces, the sections bound together and placed on tracks, tents were ■ . struck, household goods packed, the people '■' all: got oil board, ilio train moved off, and away tlioy all went, leaving Ongarilhe practically deserted. One can fancy the exodus,: the excitement of the children; : tho worry of mothers, and all the general flurry of such » move, while the boys and girls and youths and maidens doubtless . thought tho whok thing great' fun. A new position is chosen for tho township.. ' , and life and a fleeting citizenship flourish anew.. ... •.> Much of the trip between Te Kuiti and Taumartuiui is lost to ordinary tourists, as the run is generally accomplished in the evening; but I contrived to do it by daylight, and gob a fine view of tho country. 2fcar Taumaranui the Ongaruhe is a riVer,' . presenting a tine stretch of water; ■it winds in and out and. round about with many ■ swirlings, sometimes over boulders • anil forming rapids, sometimes creeping, sluggishly along. It is fed by many small springs and waterfalls in ite course, and , • fiometimes appears ' but a btrook, then • widens again to a river. It narrows gradually until it.is lost in the gorges; anon it appears Cut as a ditch, and is 1 , ,fir.ally lost altogether in a raupo swamp. 'it was eaily morning when I saw it thus. The mists hung about the gorges, and the ,smoke...of our train seemed to join and ' melt into, the floating mists and become indistinguishable—clouds meeting clouds. • . Thcro ie coriainly no finer sheep country in the world, than that, doping to the / . (valley of the Ongitralie this 1 sido of Tau--8 ir.aranui, Thoro are fairly high hills of very picturcsquo shape on either side, sloping to the.river flats. The configuration of the hills is such that the eye follows them with tofrprisß as they appear to ba almost artificial in shape and as though terraced by ■. human ingenuity. I observed here, however, a very bad sign, and one that would Ibo tut tob familiar to (Mago readers. A : ' i small peninsula formed by tho riyer was securely -and closely fcnccd against rabbits • ■ ■ —leaving free only those • boundaries which tho river made. lam told that the. rabbit nuisance is extremely serious and

" menacing, and that steps 6hould bo takon 1 at' onco on ft large scale to check the progress of this pest. At present tho rabbits \ are moro or less confined to the lower . grounds, but I heard' the view expressed that if tlioy once get firmly established in tlie pumice ground at and beyond Tarn maranui it will be practically impossible to deal with them at all. Tho run I am describing is one which must be very familiar to tourists, as they

are obliged to travel by 'it to Tcach tho head of the Wanganui 1 River. I travelled with a party of four, the members of which were evidently strangers to tho country, and it was curious to note their ignorance of our waye and customs. li heard ono of the gentlemen exclaim, evidently in ' genuine surprise: "Just fancy, they let tho Natives travel on the same train as Europeans in this country." I had an entertaining chat with a young •workman, or river hand, with whom I strolled to view tho spot on the Wanganui River whence tourists embark in canoes to Jiioeb the houseboat—a three hours' trip down stream. He was acccustomed to assist in escorting the visitors, and asked him what kind of people thoy generally . were, and what sort of things interested 1 them most. "Well,"- he said, "the sort of tilings that would interest you or mo they won't look at, and they get struck on some littlo thing of which we would take no account whatever." '" What sort of things," asked. "Oh," he said, "a bit of a stream or trickle of water running over a rock with a fem or two hanging over it. They'll stop and look at it, and say ' How beautilull How uively!' till you'd 1 think them crazy." He showed me tho canoes prepared for the river trip. They were like ordinary canoes, but very large, wide, strong, and roomy; with an oil engine in the centre, a prominent steering apparatus, and an' awning which can be raised or lowered at will. There were three canoes at . the landing stage, but was no traffic

that morning. He showed me a number of carrier pigeons in a large cage. Tlioy are'kept for the river traffic, and' despatched from point to point. "But surely they arc of no practical use?" I remarked.

" Aren't tliey?" lie said. " They let the cooks kiiow how many arc coming and what they've.got to prepare lor dinner. •Wo should often be finely taken bv surprise if it were not for them pigeons." .Soma of tliem are of excellent breed, and I admitted that they are extremely useful as well as being very pretty pets, I saw this spot whence tourists embark on the townward river trip, early 011 a foggy, misty morning. Fogs and mists liang -round Taumaranui a great deal, though tile place is at so great an elevation from Auckland, it lies low. upon a. flat at the foot of 11 high terrace formed in pa6t ages by volcanic activity. There has been.a great deal of forest, but it is now nearly ail elcared away in the regions round tlio town. The Wanganui River appeared to me at this spot to bo a, fine stretch of water, a reach lying between two river headlands. There is not much foliage, but the stream it.Hf is interesting, pursuing a deep, still, and silent course, the current creating .swirls and eddies which prove its force. Before my trip is ended I must see this river in inany different aspects, as it runs along mv rbuto; but I shall see none ■ which will fascinate mo more than this first peep, soon , after dtiylight, on this foggy and misty morning.