LAKE HAUROTO AND THE PRINCESS RANGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19146, 14 April 1924, Page 10

LAKE HAUROTO AND THE PRINCESS RANGE.

Written for the Otago Daily Times. By Jan. Si’EDEN, Gore. Our previous trip across Lake Hanroto not having been very successful botani-ca-lly, owing to the fact that the weather was against ns, and that wo were not able to make the ascent of the Princess Mountains, we decided that at some future occasion we would have another attempt when conditions were more favourable. Accordingly, early in January, Air \V. A. Thomson, of Dunedin, and the writer left Gore one fine morning by motor, and after laying in a stock oi provisions at Otautau, arrived at Mr M. Gardiner's of the Lillburn about 2 p.m. Thence, after having partaken of Kind hospitality, we proceeded with a pacK hoi so for about six mile in open country. That was as far as the pack horse could proceed. We had then to shoulder the. packs, which were heavy owing to the ,need for taking more provisions and clothes than might actually be required. We had thought it best to be on the safe side as on more than one occasion wo had found the disadvantage of haying to live on short rations and of haying to endure the discomfort of insufficient or damp clothing at night. It was an advantage that the track was fairly dry, as usually it is very boggy in places. Tho forest consists mostly oi silver ooech (I'ugiis Menziesii), but towards the lake it is mixed somewhat with miro and white pine, and other forest trees, in the tops of the trees we heard an occasional parrakect, but except for these and a few pigeons and kakas, tomtits and warblers, bird life was scarce. What we thought was remarkable was the way in which the kaka imitated the bell notes of the tui. In fact we nearly had an argument as to whether the notes were not those of the tui itself, until we espied kakas that were following us up. That settled it. It would have been all right if they had stuck to the musical notes, but they generally ended with a most discordant screech which completely spoiled their reputation. We reached the lake edge just as the sun was setting over the Princess Range, and after our heavy drink of tea and a makeshift meal. Aftei this, as the evening was tine and the lake calm, we decided to launch the boat, get all our goods and chattels aboard, and make for the other side, five Or six miles away. The moon rose shortly afterwards, and as we were passing a small island most weird sounds could be heard from over ihe water. These sounds seemed to come from all around us. We could see nothing, but surmised the noises came from some species of bird on tbe water or flying about the locality. Onr next difficulty was to find a place to land, as the mountains hereabouts come sheer down into the lake. We made for a spot where we had camped on the previous occasion, hut the darkness made it verv hard to see. We pulled in against a fallen tree, however, _ and we were there. As Hie lake was high we only had a few feet to spare and it was necessary to camp among the rocks. There was no soft hod for ns, but it was a fine night and the glow-worms were more brilliant than over. In the cave it .was just like a clear moonless night, bait the glowworms gave a more brilliant shine of n blue-green colour. It must have been about 11 o'clock when we crawled into our sleeping hags. , Next morning we were up at daylight ■—not from choice hut, from necessity because the sandflies afford no rest on these beaches iu daylight. \\o were thankful, however, that there were no mosqii’toes to trouble us at night. After breakfast we made with onr sleeping hags and ten days’ food on onr hacks, the first part oi the journey, which was along the face, about a quarter of a mile to the other side of a creek from where a spur led up to tho top. It, was the only spur that seemed negotiable. What a, scramble that quarter mile was—up and down holding tin with one hand all the time, and then when we got down to the creek we found we could have brought tho boat in, as there was about two yards of gravel beach between the cliffs on which we could have hauled up the boat and, weather permitting, it would have heou quite safe. It was no use lamenting, however, and up the ridge we went. It was steep but mossy. Neither of us had brought a time-kccpcr, hut lime was no object. After an hour or so one of us felt like “caving in. As the other, however, cased the load by a loaf of bread or so, making things more cve.n as regards fitness, though not reducing the load materially, the journey was continued slowly. It seemed a long way up through that bush, part of the track hehig on a steep, knife-liko ridge, which was almost perpendicular on one s’ide! Except, however, for the steepness the going was good. It must have been about mid-day when, as the bush became more dwarfed we came out on to patches where it was almost clear and almost level travelling on the ridge, the sides being stilt as steep as over. We were now among the sub-alpino vegetation, and a Unit the same elevation as the top of the bnsth line—dose on 4000 ft. How ■dorious it was—and we appreciated- it ah the more after our strenuous climb. What a beautiful lot of shrubs and plants were growing on this ridge. They included Banax linear, Uolonsoi, and simplex (the laucewood and gum trees' ot the settlers), Uyathoidcs acerosa, a heathliko shrub with line berries; Dacrydium Bidwill'i, the bog pine, and Phyllicladus alpinus, the celery pine; Dracophyllum Menziesii. and longifolium, tho grass trees; Olearia Coiensoi, with rather narrower and smaller foliage than usual. Growing among the moss and filmy ferns wero Foster! sedifolia, with its beautiful pinkeved, white flowers on slender stems; CeJnusia Traversi, with thick, daik-green leaves and with brown folt-Hko tomeiitum showing conspicuously on the edges and Racks iff the leaves; Celmisia Petriei, with its light green, stiff, dagger-shaped leaves about’ a foot high ; and a beautiful whileleaved species, something intermediate between G. incami and C. fsincla’ri. u it had not been for thirst we could have spent hours on this ridge, but as it was, after our strenuous climb, wo were anxious to secure water, and there was none in sight except on the lake far below. Those granite mountain ridges seem to have no water or pools near the tops of tho ridges, as other mountain ranges have. As we could see a valley where water was likely to be about a mile away on cur left/ we made for it without loss of time, only to find when we got there that we looked over the edge of a precipice 100 ft high, down to where there was a little running water. We had, therefore, to climb up still further, and presently we came to a steep sideling, down which we got to the creek bed, to discover just a mere trickle of -water. It was sufficient, however, and here we decided to make our headquarters. After a good meal we had an enjoyable rest, and then our inquisitiveness got the better of us, and we had to inspect the vegetation that was grow’.ng in tho neighbourhood. The Ourisia macrocaipa (sometimes called New Zealand primroses) wero magnificent. Never before had I seen them with such large flowers. Ranunculus Lvalli, the mountain lily, was plentiful enough, as were also one or two species of gentian, which were difficult to determine. There wero also Veroivca imhncata (something like a small V. Hecton), V. huxifolia, tho common box-lenved veronica, and also a veronica something like Wiilcoxi. Except for these species the Veronica genus was poorly represented. In the course of the afternoon we climbed to the top of the ridge. As the weather was glorious, we had a most magnificent view. In the distance, away to the south-east and in the haze were Stewart Island and the Centre Island lighthouse. To the north-east were the Takatimos mountains, and to the northwest and west of Lake Manapouri and Te Anau were mountain peaks, the summits of which were covered with snow From the N.VV. to the S.W. nothing hut the (ops of mountain peaks were, to be seen till the sea again -came hito view on the south, with standing up conspicuously in it the Solnnders, which, far off as they wore, looked quite near iu iho clear atmosphere. Close at hand to the west were other parts of the range wo wero on. divided by deep valleys, west oi which was Lake Poteritcri, another ia.ku

of considerable size. Straight below and half surrounding us on the eastern side was Lake Hauroto. How small and narrow >t looked! It certainly did not seem 20 miles long or five miles across from where we left the other side. Everywhere else there was dense forest for miles as far as could be seen and to the sea. When one nears the lament concerning our last diminishing forests one wonders if the extent of these forests of the wes “ 18 ever realised by those in authority; they will be a great asset a hundred years after this. On the top of the ridge there was not a great variety of vegetation, but there were some novel dwarf Aciphyllas (bpeargrass). not the least of which was A. Crosbysmithii, a beautiful rosette plant tor u rockerv. There were also a few plants of Veronica Petrieii and Pelmisia viscosa fatigued by our day’s exertion, we made back down to our camping place where, after another meal, we spread our sleeping bags along the base of some shruns so that we should not roll down the mountain side, crept into them, and were soon at rest. Unless on© is used to u, a hard bed is not conducive to a sound sleep, ana we were strangers to one, hut we felt wonderfully refreshed m the morning. After breakfast we set on to another peak two or three miles awa„ the highest point of which was some thing over 5000 ft. It was another glorious day. After we reached our destination, we decided to descend to a valley on the south-west side of the ridge which looked promising botanteally. the descent was steep and precipitous m places—all granite rocks and shingie slopes—but growing in places were large quantities of Ranunculus Biichanam and R, Matthewesii, both large, white-flowered buttercups with flowers 2 5 inches m diameter. Lower down there grew large quantities of B. Lyalin and Kcencio scoryonerioides, that lovely flowered benecio which 1 have never seen in cultivation. In a boggy situation in the valley acre some splendid clumps of Aciphylla pinnatifidia, the fine dwarf speargrass winch was discovered and described only a lew years ago, and yet I have seen it more or less on every mountain range that I have been on. ‘it is rather strange how the early botanists came to overlook it, for it is a conspicuous object when in flower, with its beautiful bronze-coloured stems. Lower down the valley, near the bush, we came across Celmisia coriacea, the white-leaved mountain daisy, and the creeping C. glandulosa. Among the strong-growing tussock grass (Danthonia ovata) were some fine plants of Celmisia Armstrong’, variety lanceolate, and just at the edge of the bush, among the shrubs of celery pine we found some fine large patches of Celmisia holoseracea, with its beautiful shining green foliage and large daisy flowers. The little known tussock grass of these .mountains, Danthonia ovata, is altogether different from the tussocks as we know them (Poa caispitosa and Dautjionia Raoulia). It has a soft, velvety appearance and feel, and would make a very ornamental grass for a garden border, but, it has few flower heads, and these ivere small and inconspicuous After scrambling through some shrubs we had to elirnb up on. to the ridge again. The tops ot those ridges on the west side were very barn, covered with granilc-like coarse road metal, which Held the, feet as a horse rasp would. There was no shpping on them, but all the same a day or two’s travelling on them would destroy most boots. We returned to our camping' place well on in the afternoon, with a fair load of ‘plants. After tea it came on to rain, and we had to get into our sleeping bags, as there was no shelter available. After dark wc once or twice saw bright lights moving in the distance in an easterly direction, and wo surmised they must have been those of motor cars coming direct towards us out of Tuatapere. The light was surprising for the distance as we were too far away to see Tuatapere in dayPght,- although we could tell the direction in which it lay. After breakfast next motn’ng (when, although wo were on rations, we finished the Inst of the food we had brought with us, we packed our swag and made hack down the way we came. Growing everywhere just above the bush line were that fine flowering shrub PimeUa Crosby Smitlii; Scum uniflonim,. A fine white strawberry-like flowering plant; and creeping or rambling over the ground, Coprosina retries, not a bit like the other coprosmas. The whole trip was decidedly refreshing, as except for a few marks of doer at the edge of the lake, we never saw a sign of anything vegetable or animal that had been introduced. The vegetation was decidedly different from the usual. This w-as so even in the case of the grasses. Having airivcd at the foot wo left our packs at the creek month, scrambled again along the face, and slid down an overhanging tree to the boat, which was concealed by the projecting vegetation. The'only bird we had noticeu above the bush line was our native ground lark.. It was very plentiful, and also very tamo, this being no doubt attributable to the absence of small boys from these parts. After a good meal, the lake being rather rough, we were driven by the sandflies into the hush, where wo rested among the moss, and it was well on in the afternoon that, as the waters of the lake became smoother, we made badk to the. landing. Owing to our weighty packs it took us the whole ot the next, dav to rover the 10 miles to civilisation at Mr Gardiner’s. Next morning, after getting into respectable clothes, and partaking of raspberries and cream for breakfast, we made off for home, and reached Gore about 3 p.m. the same day, after one of the most successful trips for years. MALE CHOIR CONCERT. Part, singing has charms that appeal to t>o(h musical people and also to those who do not claim to have the musical sense developed. This is largely because ot the harmonious settings that have been arranged to the various themes for male part singing. New compositions as well as old folk songs will 'ho given by the Dunedin Male Choir at its concert in His Majesty’s Theatre on Wednesday evening, and with vocal and instrumental solos and vocal xiu.irtels an interesting as well as an enjoyable concert should result. .

In the course of an address at Hamilton, on the subject of main highways, Mr F. C. Hanicll, who has recently made a special study of the system in America, outlined the New Zealand law, and added that it would bo soon that the machinery of the Act was very simple, and was dependent for effective working upon the co-operation of the local authority, but as in most cases this would mean a lessening of the funds these bodies were now required to raise while the advances of co-operation were so evident that there should very soon bo manifested a groat improvement in the roads now carrying most of the dominion’s traffic. In California, ho said, from 1912 to 1922, 2500 miles had been constructed or improved, of which 1700 miles had been laid with a concrete base, this State being the first to adopt concrete ns a standard, the width being 15ft, and the thickness Sin. Funds for this had been found in the proportion of 50 per cent, by the Slate, 10 per lent, from the Federal Government, and 16 per cent, from the counties, 13 per cent, from the motor vehicles, and 7 per cent, from the gasoline tax. On the expenditure side 6 per cent, had been spent in engineering and administration, and 8 per cent, in interest and repayment of loans.

“Like tlie Macedonians of old, wo cry unto yon, ‘Come over and help us.’ ” This is (he appeal thrown out by the Alberta British Rugby Football Union in support of a suggestion (says the Wellington Evening Post) considered by the Management Committee of the N.Z.R.F.U. on Monday evening that the AH Blacks, who are to go on lour abroad this year, should make an earlier start than is proposed, playing a series of games in the leadmg eastern Canadian cities. “If a game or two could bo staged in Toronto or Montreal,’’ wroto the Alberta Union, “this would be lovely. A visit from your famous combination will advance Rugby and moko the sport decidedly popular here and in other parts of Canada.

. . . Such a visit will do morn than anything wo know to knit Canadians and and New Zealanders together.” Two letters had been received from Mr Tom .Tones, of Dannevirke. wrote the secretary of the union, which sent blood tingling through (their veins. The Now Zealand Union decided to reply that tho proposed visit was impossible.