THE WESTERN DISTRICT

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 10

THE WESTERN DISTRICT

SOME NOTES OF A SCRAMBLE ROUND THE BEACH FROM COLAC BAY TO RIVERTON.

By " Tasst."

That unexpected pleasures are the most enjoyable is probably the experience of most jjeople, and certainly the result of our alfresco trip on Good Friday did not prove any exception. When asked in a casual way by a friend to come round in the morning if I had nothing particular to do, there was no hint of the adventures in store for us, though the writer began to be suspicious when the extent of the commissariat was revealed by various haversacks, etc., and when we assembled on the beach at Colac at 11.35 a.m. we looked and felt a small but determined band of explorers fully equipped and aimed to the teeth, prepared for all emergencies, and with visions of all kinds of relics and curios to be discovered by the sad sea waves. The first two or three miles were accomplished without any notable incident along Colac Beach, only being varied by patches of " soft" sand and "heavy" shingle, and some well meant efforts in marksmanship, which, however, bore po fruit, bunny showing the "white, feather" in a most unconcerned and aggravating fashion. Soon. after passing, the Riverton turn-off we encountered tho rocks, and our scrambles began in good earnest. The tide being partially " out," we had to scale the rocky barriers that divide this part of the coast into numerous little bays and coves. The formation of the rocks is most interesting and wonderful. After about half a mile of rough travelling we met a steep escarpment, up which we had to climb, only to find that on the other side it was an- overhanging precipice, bringing us to a full stop. The ladies 6aid they would not go down the way we came up, so we had to dive into the scrub — Boobyalla, " Tassy " called it — on the landward side, and finally emerged beyond tho precipice, all bearing traces more or less of encounters with the "lawyers," " bicl-a-bids," and other denisons of the bush. Looking back at our rooky barrier, we found it was po remarkably like an old ruined keep — the tcrubby broadleaf overhanging the top with more than a suggestion of ivy — that we there and then named it the " Castle Rock " (geographers, please note). As by this time it was approaching 1 p.m., and our exertions were beginning to tell, we decided to camp and boil the billy. So, having selected a cosy spot from which a splendid panorama of Colac Bay, Centre Island, Stewart Island, and Rabbit Island, with an occasional whitesailed fishing boat, was spread before us, with some rugged snowclad peaks looming up northward in the great distance, -we halted and made our first attack on the supplies, the various comestibles disappearing as if by magic. Having fully satisfied our cravings, the sportsmen made a descent upon the colony of rabbits, and after a vigorous bombardment with .22 6olid shot, effectually routed the bunnies with,, it is supposed, the loss of one woundedi Tho ladies haying by this time rested, we packed up and resumed our way, and after traversing some Tather difficult country we were pulled up by another rocky barrier. After ' investigating, our pioneer announced that ho had found a breach in the wall, which proved to be a long, narrow cleft in the rock, barely wide enough for two to walk abreast, the entrance being near low water-mark and the outlet just above high-water. We entered boldly, and all went well until we approached the outlet, where the channel was almost choked with rotten kelp, whioh, when stirred up by our feet, disclosed millions of what are politely called " gentles," and emitted an odour that was by no means " gentle." Wo floundered through with various exclamations of delight, and at length successfully emerged fron what we unanimously christened the " Slough of Despond." We spent some time vainly endeavouring to rid ourselves of the delicate aroma of the decayed kelp, and resumed our way, carefully avoiding anything like seaweed, examining with interest many curious and grotesque formations, including tho " Long tunnel " — a lone narrow cavern, very similar to an adit leading into a mine, at the end of which we found a great accumulation of mussel shelta, as if it had been a feasting place of some being exiled from society and doomed to live alone. By-and-byo we came to a rooky plateau, some acres in extent, which "Tassy," reminiscent of Mount Wellington, duly named the " Ploughed Field." the stratification and disposition of the rocks being strangely similar to the furrows in ploughed ground. Travelling here was rather precarioup, one having to step with great care over deep fissures from one furrow to another, and only for the presence of thousands of young mussels, which mitigated the slippery-ness of the rocks, these would have* been dantrerous. About half a mile further on we reached tho " Ultima- Thule " of our pilgrimage — the famous blow-hole, whioh consists of a luife figure pome 10ft or 12ft wide, ahont 120 ft lonpr, and of unknown depth, some 50ft of tho landward ond bein<? arched over nnd connected with a sort of basin. The action of the wave a forces the water through the tunnol with oreat velocity, whence it issues with recular nutations, causincr a fine effpet. Mountine the top of the rocks, one gptfi quite an object les'jon in kelp Hutte plants bavins attached themselves to the rork sirfps of the fissure, their long ribbonlike tendrils rompletely cover the water — "like mermaids' tresses ' as our poetical member described them. — and effectually |)!T-vont the waves from brenkine. so that thor« is a. long, smooth, undulating movement of the water until it bnr»rs out of the tunnel's mouth with a roar We spent some time watch in «» this phenomenon and difou^sinor tho nrob»W» h.b.n to be obtained from it by Mr Miller's ingenious device, until someono remarked that, " Tempus wfls fu'e-ittine." xrhereunon we held a council nf war to decide how to cot home. The. Indies declared they would not go back through Hie " filousrh of Despond," so there was nothing for it but. to nresp on. to Riverton with the hope of catching the evening tr.iin. PusViintr on. we soon came to some more fanto'ticallv-shaned rocks worth y of a more complete inspection than we. had time to bestow. One in particular stnorl out lioMly, nrrl we nt once designated it "PulpitRock." Still rnps-inp; ni. wo at last reached a nice jnndv bench, and to our delisrht we* observed footprints in the pand. some of wl'irli were pvulo^tlv made by la/lie« fair. "Hooray! here's "Riverton," wo cried, and si raid way we decided to refresh the inner

man. So we camped by the " Leaning! Rock," and discussed good tilings, also our" chances of the train, agreeing that we had plenty of time, for it could not be far, Alas, that we did so. " Tassy," feeling rather uneasy, suggested a move, and reluctantly a start was made. We soon! found that the track was not altogether a boulevard, but at last we reached the summit of the Longwood Range, and there lay Riverton at our feet. We stopped for a time to admire the gloriqua " scene below us, lighted up as it was with the golden rays of the netting sun, showing; up the cosy homesteads dotted here and there over the plain. "Is that a fire?" asked someone. Horror ! It's the train away out by Thornbury ; hurry up, or we'll miss it." We hurried down the hill regardless of sundry warnings to trespassers, and arrived at the bridge just in time to see our train calmly steam past, leaving us behind. However, we pretended we didn't care, and, making the acquaintance of Mr James Pankhurst. he quickly harnessed up a team, behind which we were soon merrily homeward bound, the moonlight drive through the shadowy bush more than compensating for our chagrin at missing the train. And when we once more emerged on Colao Beach we one and all agreed that we had epent a most enjoyable day, and wouldn't have caught the train on any account.