HANMER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2883, 23 June 1909, Page 97

HANMER.

Bz SOKDOW2TEB. • j TDo fliose o£ us in the south, who ' give a thought to it as holiday three approaches, Hanmer appears so far away, so inaccessible, that, like Moses viewing "the Pro mised Land" from Mount Pisgah, we feel it may be for the younger generation, not . for t us. Once, however, let us gird our. ; loins and decide to undertafce the journey, '. the difficulties we conjured up vanish like t dreams at dawn, and 1 "we find the trip a ; long succession of comfort, cubninating in v a most perfect resting place,, alflte for* tired ' brains and. weaiy limbs. , : The train from Christchurch to Culverden, the present terminus, of the northern line, staa-is at the .hour of 8.50, sa that in- , tending passengers xising at l.tdf can. dreas,. breakfast in comfort, and reach the station, in" ample- time to obtain seats. 3from. this , oat the Ena, as far as Waipara, traverses the pfein— Sne grassed land, much of it , uiafer close cultivation, and, especialry at P«panai a.rsd- Styx, in large full-bearing orchards. At-bofcn Rangiora and Waipara passeng«ra are afiowe^ thus for a cup of tea, v and at the lasfcsx ,ptace thos& going to Scargill a»d €Jhe,viot change trains, and strike- along the. . coast, ei^ wliicb pretty little peeps are seen now and again between RangioKt and. Waipara. Hanmer passengers keep their seats, and, pniHng and panting, the train mounts up> and uip through Weka Pass till^ at \Vaikari, a height of 733 ft above sea. level, is reached. , The country here is all limestone land, and , would delight the heart of any farmer. Right to tbe top of the- hills great blocks o£ tbis-'stoc-e- crop up out of the midst of uraas and iussetik.. which gi<rvr3 so profosety - hat, though the . runs appear well 1 stocked, i<o impression is made apparently on the , r:eh growing feed-. From Hawaiden, the n«xt stopping P-^ce, to On£verden> is aE downhill, and -■:■■& bowl along at a good pace, reaehiarcr: . ■he terminus at 12.22. Sere a scene of rush and Inrrry occurs Some of the know- ( ing ones dash, off air ooce to secure seats in the first motor, whilst: thoee wao do ' not know the ropaf stand by their baggage to ' see it safely " transferred from, train to motor. It is a ease of "first come, fire* served*" and iha first motor is desired tot '. the reason, that the coach from. Ferry, 17-£ miles, distant, -waits till th«- last j motor arirves before starting; and naturally tha beet seats in rfc also- are obtained by ; the " early birds." Not that this, matters I so much, but passengers arriving by the ; last motor stand the chance of having to wait for the second trip of the coach, and on busy days this sometimes- happens. ' Ihiring- holiday season there are three large motors, each capable >qf carrying- II paaeengerfr and lug;gag-e-, standing at Oulvenden Station. Upon oae occasion » small car of small power was pressed into the service. It was^- however, quite in- ■ adequate to tbe • task allotted it of - trans- ■ porting some 13- passengers', and broke down badly a. short- way oat of Culverden. Here the unlucky passengers had to sifc by the roadside until .a car returning from Waiau Ferry took it in tow, and* reaving it at file garage at Gulveridpsn, returned to pick up the' stranded travellers and convey tEem to the coach. The motor ride is interesting 1 , and so the' spaed does, nob , trouble you, for we travelled at about nine miles per hour only, the car being heavily loaded. The first portion, of the journey is through perfectly fiat -cduarfcry, . and traverses the Cuiverden Estate, lately acquired by the Stafce. Here we find evr<:eaces of the closer settlement in dividing' fences and brand-new houses. " Tbe> w'aiau. is skirted on the fiat for a coa&:derable distance, until after the bridge to z'.-.e Leslie Hills homestead: is- passed, arse - once more we «re ia HilL country; aotf ..,0-king at it one wonders why our fore- " :s£«ierfl preferred the wild, inacceasibtev . .ijjd bleaik hiHa of Otago to this paradise ' for eheep-ranning. Grass and' tussock • clothe the hitls, and jcight to the very tops »h-eep can be seen pasturing-, and are, X ; doubt not, &a eleaic and fat as theirbrethren on the flats. I saw no evidence ; of wintei' feed, such as tu.nmps r anywhere j along iihe road, so presume none is j needed in this district. j At Waiau Ferry all are transferred to , coach, and, crossing the bridge, the passengers are requested to alight and walk a distance of perhaps a quarter of a. mile, , on account of the road-making operations. [ The road is round the side of a steep, . rocky bluff, and to enable the motors to t tackle it, an# ako to- give an. easier grade i for other wheeled traffic, r£ is being ; lowered a matter of 20ft or so. T£is ' is' : a. -his S2i aoatiy VLwSerta&ing, as it is a^l ; solid rock and has to be shot bat whilst at the same time traffic must .not be . Stopped, for this.' is the only toad to the. Hanmer Plains behind. Once this haa , been negotiated, the • road is good. Two ' streams only have to be forded, but the f Government, has at present under course ' of construction a bridge which will do j away with, the necessity for these fordw, ' and the detour of the new road will shorten | the route considearaHy. Wttfc - these- inj>- > provemenfs completed, the residents- and visitors- to Haamer will Had. their, position much improved in the matter of time, re^ ! quired to reach the township. I Hanmer in 1871. according to a photo , which i have beside me as I" write, consisted of an open pool in a tussoeky pad<- !• dock, and a smalE corrugated iron hat •' alongside. In the . pool we see, two men , bathing- and- a third dressing, whilst their . horses stand patiently on the bank;. ' Tradition has. it that an- old shepherd from ! Sfe Helens Station, about two miles dis- ' tant, found t&e pool in . agreeable place ' to bathe in ojs account of its warmth, and ' when -the yheu*aal;ism from 'which he suffered entirely disappeared, the fame^of {he 4 spring spread., abroad till. -people ftocked 1 from all sides to the spot to, be cured at . the magic- Bprißgsu.-lia.fer thecGotemmen*' ■ acquired3-tha.H.gp:outtds^f-abou4 -SB&i'acies^ T^< undaisstftndS^and Jbegair" mi -real earn'es^; to < improve the place. , To-day we find a j nicely la^d out 'township with spa, bathing pools, private bath houses, .tea rooms, lawn « lennis 1 courV, bowling green, an^ acres of 4 plantatida o£ pinee, oat ash, etc.,, .shelter-, ing torely- grounds, wnich. are " carefully ( kept and "tended- by: a gardener who' 'mpsfc ' tertai^'lovearhid flowers. Roses; dahlias... Do6maJ> bonfire salvia, and other flowers . grow in. rbA profusion,' 'and, "together with . th£ well-kept paths" and* grass,' make a haven, of rest which, travellers are not slaw to- appreciate. Hero, on- one of the many seats; under the influence of the genial sun, one forgets all work aad worry, whilst from one pool rise the bigh-pitsched trebles of the women, and from the other the

lower-toned but louder voiced of the males f disporting- -fihem^ftlves in the waters, imitat- f ! ing- seals at play, ox the fnff-fuff of the -motor boats. The Spa, originally a boards inghouse, is now a sanatorium pure and simple, devoted entirely to the use of those in search of health. The charges are ex- i ceedingly moderate, being fixed at £2 2s ' par week, for which patients are boarded . and have in addition the services of the J doctor, masseur, or massutese-. and the T baths. During my visit I saw many who ; had benefited considerably by their stay i " at the Spa, and the skilful treatment of i i the resident doctor and capable nurses..' ■ One usually associates these sanatorium i " places with distressing eights, but during ' the time I was at Hanmer I saw none but i : cheerful countenances, firm in the belief of the efficacy of the waters and treatment to care th& ills of the owners. > In the gromkbs- one sees against the - various spring's and pods large numbered boards — 1, 2, 3, 4-. and so t>n, — and Jshsexplanation is forthcoming when one receives from, the doctor a printed abeat showing the analysis of the various springs. Over the top of one is set a series of [ glass frames, wisre tk>e gardener is striking ( cuttings of geraniinm and other plants, i forced- &y the 'warmth from the water balo^v. ! Along3id© is a gasometer in. which is con- j fined the natural gas escapvng from tb& '. water, which, when conserved in this way, supplies the agency for lighting the grounds ' and buildings at nisfht. The; tea-hottse- is ' a deligbtfolly quaint and pieEnnesque red- j shingle-roofed haiWing (a la Japanese) with. ■ wide- low verandah. a»d dttring the warm sunny days those dtesiririig it can have theirs cup of tea 'brought out ter' them here, set j at the small taHes with spotless linen, and | everything deligjutfully served, with fuJr j^ view of the grounds in front or team's ■ court at ffse back, where we sa.w several j capital games between some Chrbtehrirch j combin-ed 1 doisMs players. A word of_ praise ' must be given hers to fehe baker, in this N case, quite a young girf, whose cakes and pikelets coutd not be beaten in any ol ' the four centres. The attendants, also. are. I must say, most poorteouis. and obliging and ready at all tiroes, to offer any hxH-.s or ad-vice when asfced. The batharg^ pool* — '-one .for women, the ot-ber foar mcit — axe nearly the same size. That for the men j is slightly fehe' larg,en: and, if anything, a' little Msarmer. The pools are circular in j form, with concrete sides and wooden floors, ; about 5f% deep, with a. good flow of water j day and -nigtftt, and their tena-perature is , maintained fairly well throughout at abotut > 9Qd-eg Fahr. I know of nothing more de- '• Ightful tha-n to rise from bed and repair to the bathing pooL in the- early morning, j Here in one- of the many dressing-boxes all ■ clothing is discarded, even trunks being j prohibited; a run, a dive, and one connee to j the surface, if it is hia first experience,, wondering "*wbat iha- has struck " — so j pleasant is the e^nsation. Half an-luour j passes like magic, aad, finishing off with a , .coSd shower and douche from, the reservoir, at 901b to ths square kioh, the bathsr gees home m a perfect gkrv with an appetite for breakfast, and afirri'- determination to ■ visit this pool early and often. The doctor has, I understand, applied for permiseibn to construct golf linte in tha paddocks adjO'iningv and -as it will be . a. matter of small, >«xpenee^ and add considonably to ib& enjoyment _ol a number of visitors- to Hajanrer, I skmrely hope 1 the permission maj he granteLL If so, I feel certain it will be- quite "-.. he thinig " to take a week-end .jemnt fro,m Christchurch and surrounding districtu for those j who indulge in this pastime. Hanmer township consists mostly of i boardmg j houses — the principal of which j . are Hood's Hammer Lodge, Lahnuert's, Tha , C!aa.-ence, and Glenavoit —^a store, I public hall aud billiard saloon, and ha.ir- - dressing establishment. Duri'ig the day one can make excursions to ifollie's Pass, -about two miles and a-haU, seeing; en route the Forestry Department's planta- • tion and the prison oanxp. J'.ck'& Paise lies . in the oppdsdte direction, % distanice of • seven or eight miles, and .from it conies I . the water 6UTiplv of the 'township. lin- j J mediately behind Harare Lodi«e risers "; Majuba Hill, with a small rest house on ; top It is approached by a zig-zag- road 1 i ■ of easy, grade, which iakes approximately i I halt to three-auarters _of an hour to ! negotiate, according Co the inclination of ■ the party essaying the task. The return, of course, takies, less, and by discarding the winding rja/d and comine straight 1 down anyone oan'do it in about 12 minutes ' from the top to the store. The view from : the top is quite worth tbe small amount 1 of jni&rgry expended in the elirob, as one < : ' \ sees from there the whole plain laid out : ,'■ in panorama, the fiap, the strrams-, th« ' , planftatwon^ the township, and general . I contour of the districtFor the most part, after thsse exeiir- • eious, Kames are indulged in, and at " Tha ' Lodg<9 " there is a beautiful little bowline; • i green with f'lll supply cf bowls, asphalt \ la*vn, tennis courts, croquet green, and , i' putting ground, and nothing delLghts the , ! heart of Host Hood more than to aapemble j I round 1 him seven or 10 howling enthusiasts i | to throw up "fcitty" and pla-y touchco or ; J ditchers, accorcHn.^ to the ahility ami , strength of piayer. A keen bowler. ! an-d a good one, too, is Mr Hood, antJ> ! whilst I was there man.v games, Otago v. j Canterbury, and finally Otaiga v. the ! World, were fousrht. ouis to a fi'iish. (In j j passing, I woald liks to remark t'.iat Otago , • mootly won.) r • The long, widia verandahs, with, dozens of j comfortable, padded chairs, lure the unwary, i and after that there is no escape. The J piaoe- induces laziness,. l am certain. Once ' you take one of those chairs in +>he warnx eumshine, the rest of the -world can be , safely left to look after &x>. State, tbe i office, the" shop, or the farm. So passes the day, but I had almost forgotten to mention J the interludes for refreshment, and here again everything- is as it oaghfr to _ be. . - Food there is in abundance and variety, ( Tof the vei"y best, cooked «end sarveu quiteas daintily as in' any hotel in V'-o Do- ■ minion. The napery is spotless and the , atfcenidance is excellent Dinner in (h-9 evening generally found the whole party.. ' < about 60 in ntunbsr, hxmgry, j - hsurupy, smilincr, amiable, and between the | oourses one heard scrsjis of conversation j from ttie various parties afc their rss=pecfciv« | ■ tables of their deijigs duxing- the <Jay. !■ -"Otago won by 17 to 7," from the bowiin 0 - , • man; "We played two love sets.'" f-om tennis doubles; " I did the round ir- 37."' from tile putter ; and 6O we paw-jd tha time from, soup to dessert. Dinner ooverr r aE repaired to tlie huge wide verandahs again, and later the chairs { were pushed aside and the youngrr and •

j f more ensgetic putted the piano* -io an open - [French window in- tfhe <$rzwmg-<room, and ! to the tame of "The. Jflenry Widow" or • the oM but ever-young " Blue Danube," [ tripped it on the lig-te fantastic. When '■ Kiteben Lancers came on, tibe older genera- • i tLon looked on and went back in their > ' minds, I am certain, to the good old days i I "wihen dancing was dancing." We had 1 I some capital musical talent also amongst '■ us, and experienced no difficulty in. finding ' song's and their singers and (pianoforte r , (■ a-rctsts. Saturday evening saw us, one ■ j and all, playing for dear life at a euchre -| tournament with prizes for ladies and men \ i — both winners and boobies. The play-off ; . amongst the four men for the booby prize '• was especially funny, and occasioned a con- ! . siderkbie- amount of merriment. Nine " by. the cksck." and from here and there they rose singly or in couples and disappeared nor, as you would imagine, to. walk the r grounds arm In arm, bat to "slip on. eoroeth'mg and an overcoat " for the, evening . batfi. From 9 til! 10 is a busy time in the hoKd/ay season. «s a great many then rate - ! the private bath and repair straight home r and fco'bed * r to sfesp, perchance to dream."' ] The water comes ■nrtwjh' warmer in the i private- bathsr than in the pools, and varies j but little tn temperature, standing geiasr- \ \ ally afe 12Qdeg to 12W>eg Fair. — or as ftofc ! ac oae cares t-o go- into. Here,, again, • everychiag is a pattern of cleanliness and , good order- showing the rigid supervisicn. ,of the bead of the institution. ImnaediI ately a. bath, door opens and the room. is. vacated aa attendant wipes the floor care- , fully, sponges, out the large enamel bath,. v l and you go in in absolute certainty that it ' j is as dean as a pair of hands can make ' I it. To- try to describe these evening 1 | " tubs " and the deligJltful sensation of J Fbem aaid! the knowledge that your can. keep i the watre-r ranßing all the time, maintainj ing heat without depriving those who come ' s after you of a full supply of the same water, is to set oneself a task beyond one ; ,co I must decline. A strong, cold shower to finish, a- drink at the fountain of the water, which has a nather peculiar flavour (those who know say rotten eggs}, and"is ' called by the residents "bhiefcen broth," " aod one goes home to sleep like the pror verbial top. j The. excursion fares> wirichi run to £3 5s j from Ihinedinv including motors, coaches, ! and return, enable you to do 'all this ax '• under £10. This covers the full weefe's j board at Ilanmer, the sta!y overnight hath, i ways at Ghristchurch, and all sundry small j expenses; and one cannot surely want ' more at the" price. To have onoe bathed I in this veritable rr PooL of Siloam" and I to have -drank of the waters of the " River ■ Letlie " — for tnere is notHng buit; water ob- ' \ tamable at Hanmer, nor does it appear to ' j bo desired — makes the brain-fagged busr- • , ness man cr overtired honeewiie vow upon | the spot fcaat, D."V"., be or she will visit 1 i the springs again gorae other time, and • j induce .others also to try the cure; for ills , such as these that lies almost,, you may ' j say, at their very doors.