WELLINGTON - - - TO CHRISTCHURCH VIA THE EAST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2782, 10 July 1907, Page 77

WELLINGTON - - - - TO CHRISTCHURCH VIA THE EAST COAST.

By E. S. S. The first stage of the journey, a four hours' run to Picton, we accomplished with the aid of the "Union Company one fine Saturday recently. After clearing Wellington Heads the steamer follows the coast line, which is precipitous and somewhat barren, until Cape Terawhiti is reached. Here a direct passage of about two hours' duration across Cook Strait takes you to the South Island. For several miles on our way we were joyously escorted by a large school of porpoises, ■whose antics Mould make the "buckjumpers"' we have heard so much about of late green with envy. The trip up Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton formed a delightful finish to this short but most enjoyable sea. voyage. On every side tho sparkling waters are hedged in with great hills, some of which are still covered with ! the beautiful bush that so impressed Captain Cook many years ago. Arrived at Picton we immediately entrained for Seddon by way of Blenheim. The country crccsed, the Waifau Plains, presence an interesting and ever-changing panorama of farm life. A bueh fire was imaging at the time, and the setting of the sun through, a K&ze of forest smoke produced a weird and enchanting spectacle. Leaving Seddon next morning the read led us south through dreary tussock-covered country, past Lake Grasmere and by the much -discussed Flaxbourne Estate ; and finally, with many turnings, over some stiff lulls to the coast south of Cape Campbell. We were now to follow the coast line, for about 50 niifes — as far as Kadkoura. To the left stretched the beautiful blue of the Pacific, a long line of breakers arching over and slowly curling into feathery foam with a subdued murmur which had an almost narcotic effect. Glorious seascape like this makes one realise what a fascination there must be iv the life of a beach-comber, whose bed is the soft, warm sand — the eider down of Mother Earth ; the starry vault of sub-tropical night his roof, and the whispering of the mighty deep his dream song. To the right rose the steep slopes of the coastal hills covered with Nature's best — not the alien flora of your city gardens, but our own great virgin bus-h, which we so scantily appreciate. Sheep stations -covering great stretches of country, with occasional small farms and at rare intervals tiny settlements, gave signs of human habitation. Here are no buzzing sawmills or screeching flaxstrippa's so characteristic of the north. As the afternoon drew to a cln-a the road in all directions was invaded by troops of rabbitr — friend Brer being not at nil disconcerted by our appearance. As it grew dark on reaching the Clarence River, we here spent the night, and at sunrise, as the pinkish hue of the new day tinged the snow-clad peaks of the Kaikouras, which boldly towered in the background, we mounted our machines for Kaikoura and breakfast. An inspection of bl'e fine ?aves a.t H^lfmoon Ba\, opening oil from the road, made an interesting break in the journey, and after crossing the Hapuka Rivev we finished the last nine miles along a splendid road in quick time. Kaikoura, a seaside port, faces the Pacific, ard behind lises its stately mountain ringe, one of the most striking features of our ruirg-ed coast line. The settlement re.=.?mb!es Waikanae in the north, inasmuch <"-, both were at one time whaling statiors and centres of interest in conrection with the Maori Xapoleon, Te Rauparaha. T turning inland and southwards in the direction of Culverden we again pa.«s over a variety of pastoral country, keeping the mountains always on our right. After crossing the Conway River some stiff hills were encountered, notably one known as iLe "Whale's Back." Mr Frank T Bullen, the authority on whales, asserts that giant mammal to be the mightiest of all animals, and after pushing a bike over what I wae afterwards told was m« rely a spuT of the Whale's Back I heartily endorse his opinions-. At the -Mason River, near Mount Sherwood, we were regaled with luncheon by the good folk at a sheep station, who were kindness personified, and a few miles farth-c-r on, afte.' crossing and re n rossing the Mason nearly twenty times, we acjain came on the plains, and stopped for the night at the littl* town of Waiau. We continued southwards next morning as far as Rotheram. and thence took a short cut of a couple of miles tb r ough the tussocks on to the HanMtr road, which follows the course of the Waiau River for about 16 mi'es. Mark Twain tells how everyone in Honolulu is either a missionary lor a trad'Cr. In Hanmer it is much the ! same — pv*»rvone is oither a bath attendant 01 a lodoins-hoiiFe kp-eper. On the plains the sulphur from the hot springs could be distinctly smelt at a distance of six miles. After a bath in the magic waters, which produced a somwhat languid feel-j-itr surr^enive of the region where "'tis always afternoon," we left by the same road for Gulverden. Proceeding by train from Culverden to Chmtchurch, a distance of 70 miles across the plains and

through the Weka' Pass, tfte same evening, ■we finished a thoroughly enjoyable trip through the highways and byways of Marlborough and Canterbury.