A RUN ROUND THE WEST COAST.

Otago Witness, Issue 3612, 5 June 1923, Page 60

A RUN ROUND THE WEST COAST.

By

T. H. Thompson.

WESTPORT TO NELSON. Leaving Westport again by motor coach, after an early breakfast, we doubled back on- the Buffer Gorge route as far as Inangahuia Junction whence we took a northerly direction travelling for miles and miles through beautiful bush and river scenery, till beauty began to pall. But when, later on, we came to a change of country and passed barren or partially barren heights made ugly by the presence of many dead trees still standing on them, 1 longed again for the splendid scenery I had begun to weary of. After leaving the pretty little hamlet at lnangahua Junction, we saw little in-the way of settlement except at rather long intervals. A grazing run, making a fairlv big opening in the bush and said to be very profitable, was one of them. Then followed later cn the township of LYELL which is a mere gap in the buslp containing a small cluster of buildings througn which the road bends suddenly, flare we pulled up in front of an hotel, post-office, etc. It seemed hard to account for the score of bright looking youngsters about the pest office. A road runs down to the left from the main road and here, 1 was told, a reef was still being worked. The township is reported as being the centre of a quartz mining and sluicing district, but you cannot see anything of that as you pass. Sometime after passing Lycll, we pulled up at a small wayside hotel. It struck me as comical to hear an enquiry from the driver by the landlord as to one solitary keg of beer. By the side of the little inn was a potato patch and high thick bush not far behind. Doubtless it is a welcome to many weary wayfarers who pass that way or it would not be there. Away cn past this hotel, after running through much beautiful bush, we made a short halt at

WOODEND BEND. This is the most “Wild West shew” on tile whole route —a collection of large and small wooden shacks, one, an extra large weather-beaten affair. On its outskirts was a line of new, well-built one-roomed huts in between the tall birches and facing a stream. I saw but cne woman among a fairly big number of men here, and it struck me again that there was no reason whatever to look to America for pictures. We have all the very b?st materials here —the finest for views, Jake, bush, mountain, island, barren lands, beaches, railway bridges, wild west shows, mining and timber camps, anything you want m fact in New Zealand, and we have the human beauty and talent if it is only given encouragement Why is this held not being exploited ? There should he big money in it. Woodend Bend lies below a tunnel on the continuation of the railway now being constructed from Glenhope. After leaving it, wo were seme time cn ths road before getting into a larger slice of civilisation. We took a turn to the left and passed a number of houses along a Hat read, and making another turn, found cuirselves in

MURCHISON. This, I was told there, is the future Chicago of New Zealand. It is situated in a large natural amphitheatre—a great ui' nat surrounded by mountains. It van boast some large bote’s and at least a. couple cf large stores and is lit with electric light-, but has the air of a bush town yet. Xemuka is like a city compared to it, but Temnka has near rivals, while Murchison has not. This town is catalogued as being the centre of a prosperous dairying and sheep growing district and formerly a mining area. I got down off the coach to stretch my legs, and was accosted by a pleasant faced elderly man who was passing alone. He proved to be an Italian miner who was formerly at Nenthorn and Alacraes in Central Otago, and began to tell me about a mate of his whose name sounded like “Piccolo Filuti” but I could only catch stray words which, however, went to show that Piccolo went after ’the dollars and his mate after the enjoyment of life Filuti was now rich and Giacomo (if that v a-s his name) envied him somewhat However, I doubt if- Piccolo could look any happier than his former friend While we were talking, there loomed on the landscape about half a dozen others one a big brown-bearded man whom I pictured as a leading business man another wore a straw hat decorated with native flowers, the others were just ordinary folk. The bearded man interjected such remarks as “Italiano” “Corpo c-e Bacco, ’ etc. ; so I judged the new Chicagoans as being a free and easy crouch I saw nothing of interest after leaving Murchison tiil we came to GLEN HOPE. This is important in so- far as it is the present railway terminus from Nelson. As it was wet when vve got it seemed a lonely little place where)' besides the railway station, there were perhaps a dozen houses, an accomodation house being one of them. Here we got an excellent three course meal with roast fowl, etc., for 3s. The landlord told me that he was so busy there, he had no time to be lonely. GLEN HOPE TO NELSON. After lunch vve were off again and ran through a good deal of ugly country, denuded of wood or covered with skeletons of dead trees. A long climb over the Hope Saddle followed. We made a rise, so I was told, of 3,C00 feet-. It looked an immense climb, at anv rate, and the run down the other side is said to be 18 miles. By this time vve were beginning to tire of the journey, but outinterest was soon revived, as vve ran into the far end of the Waimea Plain, extending from Bellgrove to Nelson, 23 miles, iicre in this little trim village, I got my

first view of a hop-garden which is a very pretty sight. The hop vines are strung up, row after row, perhaps Sft or 9ft in loops. The leaves are large and dark green; the flowers are the hops. Along from Bellgrove you see real close-settle-ment, and everywhere for miles are prosperous little hemes and holdings intensely cultivated. It is considered a model farming area. On the way you pass, all too swiftly, through many other pretty little hamlets and townships; Brightvvater and Richmond, as far as I can recollect, being worthy of especial mention. The plain broadens out as you g<A nearer to Nelson and the holdings get bigger, but as vve were making the pace, I only get a faint impression of them. They crop barley, wheat, oats, maize, and lucerne in this district, raise sheep and cattle, and grow lemon's as well as all temperate fruits. One crop, I never saw elsewhere, I was told was vetches. What struck me most, however, was the particularly ornamental looking slacks about the plain. We were not long in reaching Tahuna, the seaside rezoit cf Nelson, where there were a large number of holiday-makers, getting leadv to return from the beach to town. Arm get- a -cod view of the port as ycu wind round this picturesque chain-girt read, and are soon in the beautiful little city ol NELSON. I am not going to attempt a fully detailed account cf Nelson. It- is a neat trim town, nicely laid out on a fiat, with high hills and mountains behind and beside it. ami the sea not far away. To get up t-o the top of one of these hills by means of the “zig-zag” pathway beyond the Botanical Gardens, will take the wind out of a stout- man, but furnishes a very fine view when he gets there. To walk about the town is a pleasure itself—no steps to bother one, ana plenty of foliage and nice residences to see. There are anv amount of trees about and many very nice gardens, both public and private. Just in front of the Cathedral, at present a wooden building, minus the spire, but approached by fine flights of steps, a very pretty display caught my eye—a row of yellow flowers, a row of red geraniums behind that, a row of purple veronica fit hind that, and a final row of Japanese pal !ii s and cabbage trees. Behind all this is a public reserve on the hill on which tn a Cathedral stands. One residential street with trees on each side looked very attractive. Growing ever hawthorn hedges I noticed nasturtiums and ivv geraniums and now and again saw a sphenoid high staked tomato section alongside a flower garden. The Queen's Gardens, though not very big, are very pretty. Running round them is an artificial waterway in which swans and ducks are swimming. They provide a fine display of flowers and trees including some fine water lillies. Another public garden, down at the far end of the town, a walk through which leads you near the Alatai tuver is also vvoith seeing. There is a little “Coney Park” about here, a merry-go-round and side-shows. Here, I saw a gentleman somewhere about my own age, and getting into conversation, found he was the mayor, Air W. Lock. The Maoris call him Rangitira Wakatu (Wakstu is the Native name of Nelson). He took me to the Council Chambers and showed me a model of the Victory and ornaments of vvoo-d and courier formed from part of Nelson’s flagship. From a book he also gave me, I learnt that Nelson jwssesses 41 miles of streets and in 1921, its population was 10,000. Seeing that this is the. case, Nelson is anything but a sleepy hollow, the more so when yon find in it such splendid educational institutions as its Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges, gcod enough for a. place five times its size. The beys’ and girls’ central schools are also good, spacious buildings. Then, also, there are the famous Cavvthron Institute, the Institute Library and Museum, School of .Music, Post Office. Municipal Buildings and Art Gallery, all cf fair size and good design. Generally speaking, there is a tine air cf uniformity about Nelson net so noticeable in many bigger places. Trafalgar street makes a good picture. Business is not confined to this street alone but spread about as in Christchurch. In the heart of the town are some gcod shops, several gcod hotels and some fine warehouses To rnv thinking it is a fine little city and to call it “sleepy hollow” and thus make it of no account is a crime. The climate is pretty warm and I should say, somewhat enervating in the summer. I did a seven-mile walk there and found it quite far enough, but, then, that is a fair stretch even in Dunedin on a hot day. Nelson has a reputation, up North, for handsome women, but, in that respect, I think Dunedin can give all Australasia a very big start and run first. Within a mile or two from the town you are right- in the country and passing small farms. One man, on the road t-o the reservoir, told me that he took three crops a year off his small holding—viz., potatoes, oats, and maize, besides which he grew lemons, apricots, tomatoes, and vegetables This is a very nice walk and there are several others spoken mere highly of. I did not go out to the great fruit-growing centres, Moutere, Motueka, and Riwaka, where there are immense orchard areas, a replica, mostly in apples, so one of my friends says, of the dredging boom in Dunedin. It is to be hoped, however, that, it will prove much more stable or there will be some sad investors about. As it is a number appear said he, to have given the game best. One could spend a happy fortnight in Nelson or thereabouts and find it a, verv niee change from the far South, and it is a place you will be well pleased to visit again. It might easily- be rechristened "Happy Hodow.