IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PIONEERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 52

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PIONEERS.

SILVERSTREAM VALLEY TO BLUE SKIN BAY, VIA THE OLD TRACK.

(See Illustrated pages.)

To the rear of Dunedin stands Flagstaff Hill, and yet further back is SwampyHill, places well known to many Dunedinites who can enjoy the panoramic views that are there unfolded to the vision. On most of the surrounding hills exist narrow foot tracks, some of which have a history connected with the early pioneering days that gave an interest in them to the more thoughtful of the pedestrians of to-day. There is, for instance, an interesting walk from Whare Flat to Waitati. At the old stone house at Kay's Cliffs bridge, Whare Flat, a blind road leads off to Rawlinson's. From there the journey by the old track commence: —a journey made by many of the early pioneere coming or going between the old whaling station of Blueskin and the then small place Dunedin. Not far from Rawlinson's to the right, and on a small streamlet flowing into Cameron's Creek. can be traced the ruins of a flaxmill, and its attendant water-wheel, reminiscent of the time when flaxmilling was a profitable industry not so very far away from Dunedin. Further along the peculiar formation of land abutting on Mackenzie Creek claims attention. Journeying on a mile or so the head of Coal Gully, a tributary of the Silverstream, is reached. This locality, which is rich in high level native vegetation, derives its name from the fact that a coal pit once existed—yes, existed there until the Dunedin City Corporation providently secured the land in the interests of its water supply. Some of the country adjoining and on the track once formed part of the Snowy Mountain Run; but of former efforts of occupation no trace now exists if we except a small patch of English grass which has in some way or other escaped the ravages of "Mister Bunny," probably from the fact that the locality is often coated deep with snow. Not far away stood a shepherd's hut, and from it, in the good old days, the shepherd saw a well-dressed traveller passing by. The inevitable snowstorm came on, and when the stranger was found life was gone. What was his name? Little was found to lead to identification, and he was buried as the man from Canterbury. Manv an old identity still living can tell weird stories of the Swampy Hill and other tracks, and of accidents by the score. The traveller of to-day will do well to be warned of mists and storms, as with several deep lagoons around, mostly spring-fed. the Silverstream side of Swampy Hill being wetter than the Leith-Waitati side, it is hardly on occasions an enviable place to be in. In settled weather it is all that could be desired. Passing the lagoons and over tussocky hills the track leads to the cairns at the * saddle. Away to the left tower the Silver Peaks and Mount Allan, and in front and below the Waitati Valley. From -the cairns the track is interwoven with the old Waikonaiti-Swampy HillDunedin trail as far as the Clump of Trees Hill, where the celebrated Johnny Jones had a half-way house. With the

ruins of the stockade and the clearing—very fragmentary relics indeed—the journey by track continues to Semple's farm at Double Hill, whence several good roads lead down hill to iilueskin Bay.