HAWEA AND WANAKA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1540, 14 May 1881, Page 18

HAWEA AND WANAKA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

May 9th. Winter has set in with a vengeance. Snow fell heavily on the night of April 30th, and all the following day. The storm was not expected, and will necessitate the mustering of the sheep off the hightops somewhat earlier than usual. About the middle of May the stations adjacent to the lakes take precautions against loss by snow-storms by driving the sheep down into the low country. Ploughing is becoming general at Mount Barker, and the potato crops are being raised. The season's wool-scouring at Pembroke is but just finished. The snow is disappearing, and the weather is fair at present. A magnificent trout was recently seen near the Hawea bank of the Clutha— a truly welcome stranger. They must become veiy numerous before they are noticed in such large lakes and rivers as the Clutha and Hawea. I have only heard of one being caught in the locality. A short time ago reference was made in our local paper to duck-shooting at the head of Lake Hawea in the lagoons and swamps in the delta of the Hunter The ducks have ever roamed unmolested, and these places actually swarm with them. There is plenty of cover for the sportsmen, and the scenery alone will repay a visit to the place. The hills around Lake Wanaka, although magnificent, are not to be compared with the rugged grandeur of Ben Wyvis or the towering, cloud-capped peaks at the head of Hawea ; for here Nature seems to have evoked her greatest efforts, and adorned this, her great masterpiece, with the grandest strokes of her masterly hand At the fNeck, also, close to the Ben Wyyis homestead, is a small lake which abounds with wild fowl. The quantity of fruit grown every season in the email gardens at and around Pembroke is surprising Plums, apples, and strawberries ripen to perfection. It is astonishing to read of the vast sums expended for the importation of fruit and jams, when we can grow fruit and could manufacture jam in our very midst. " soil at Roy's Bay is a sediment deposit of sand and i/* < : a ' scn ist, varying in depth from one to five feet Th de PoßiP 08 i* 8 mostly lie on a shingle bed. Those heavy floods" «°, me U }'° Ol 'i hre , e yeftrß .°S? « Wo Pt down thousands of from the slopes of the mountain. Thfi fi-pqh deposits' when wet > are treacherous quagSres o a mos te..:« io^ eh ™^'- , Once fairly bogged, neither man *CVC V beast can extricate themselvls. On one occasion ro were passed round the body of an unfortunate cow, ™ d fou }' horses were hitched on, but failed to release > r - In , a sh ° rt %™? it drains, and becomes firm and invaluable soil. This description of land exists only at Ro7 » Bay, and is very limited in extent, and, I think, is fre^" o^' As the exportation of frozen meat is now iJttracting the serious attentien of cattle-breeders, I may mention . that this station could here grow root crops sufficient to fatten a great number. We await with some impatience the advent of our Land Leaguer, Mr Pyke. Surely he will come and lighten our darkness auent a matter of such paramount importance as the land question. We are not biassed, {but would B bc glad to hear both sides of ft subject of such vital import discussed by those competent to do so, Public feeling seems to be strongly in favour oi ttw views expressed at the Cromwell incstiDg?, 89 Bft Fytoi w any gentleman who way

honour us with a visit, will meet with a genuine reception, a respectful hearing, and the hearty concurrence of, I believe, the majority of his hearers. Judging by the letters published in the Witness recently, concerning our largo Native birds, more especially the kea, naturalists and others who have never seen them seem deeply interested in the topic. As soon as a fine specimen of one can be procured, a contributor is willing to incur the expense of forwarding it to Dunedin, ready prepared for stuffing, for the study of naturalists, if he knew where to direct it. Of course tho bird would require stuffing and placing where tho public could inspect it. Speaking of the three undermentioned birds, tho kakapo has the brightest plumage, and is by far the largest of the feathered trio. The kaka is the smallest, and the kea is of a size between those two, and not of the eagle, but of the parrot species.— [Our correspondent should communicate with the Curator of the Dunedin Museum.— Ed O. W.]