THE HOLIDAY IDEAL.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13177, 8 February 1936, Page 5

THE HOLIDAY IDEAL.

WITH PACK HORSE & SLEEPING BAG.

PAHIATUA GIRL’S EXPERIENCE A Herald representative was given ail account of a splendid outdoor holiday yesterday by Miss Adrienne Boyd, the well-known horsewoman of * Pahiatna, who recently spent a holiday tour in the mountainous country in the South Island, making a very extensive survey of the neighbourhood q>f the famous “Ben McLecJl” station. Boyd was accompanied by Miss Marsh, or Peel Forest, and both ladies were mounted on splendid thoroughbreds, loaned by a local landowner. From Peel Forest they departed early in the afternoon of DeNmber 28 for the “Ben McLeod’’ Nation, which they reached after a journey of some five hours in the teeth of a stiff nor’-wester. Next day it was raining hard, and they hardly left the shelter of their sleeping bags, except to feed and groom the horses, and take a run out with the station rabbiter, who bagged a good haul. The following day the girls were early astir, and, packing two days’ food supply in their saddle bags, gathered together their kits and oilskins, and set out for “Mesopotamia Station,” going over the downs in the cool morning mist. As they passed along the mist lifted, and gave a wonderful view of the wide panoramic stretch Of mountainous country on all sides. They met another rabbiter, and he had with him a pack of 20 dogs and some 15 ferrets ; he had been - out on the job for 2£ years, and sometimes went for months without seeing anyone, and the travellers did not wonder that he was anxious to get out again. The ride to “Messy” took them some 3£ hours, and on reaching the station the cook there gave them breakfast. They were very interested in looking over the original hut site put up by Butler, the well-known author-run-holder whose book “Erewhon'’ was inspired by this awesome country. Alter a short spell they set out for Black Mountain, armed with a map drawn by a shepherd, who warned them not to attempt the crossing of the Rangitata River on account? of the melted snow, which rendered it unsafe. This was bad luck, for they had hoped to pay a visit to Erewhon, and so they accordingly made for a point through good easy country until the flats were le~t behind, and gave place to steep hills, many of which were covered with shingle. One hill in particular was very hard to negotiate, and took them hours to pass over, the girls having to lead the horses through a maze of mattagarrie brush, and although the prickles were very sharp the animals led without any bother. They arrived at the hut and were soon downin the sleeping bags. Once the night the horses became

restless, probably owing to the presence of deer down in a lagoon not far from the hut. There was a stiff frost next morning and after a tramp of two hours up the creek they came to the head waters of the Rangitata. This was a sight worth going miles to see. To the left the waters of the Havelock run round the face of an incline, and in the centre the foaming Clyde races from out a gorge, while on the extreme* right the icy Lawrence joins up to complete the fork, the three streams then linking up in one wide stretch of water running deep and swift through a three-mile river bed. As it passes down it breaks into

several smaller streams. On the vay back to “Messy” they picked their path along the river-bed, and were thus enabled to avoid some of the hills. Later that day, when they had partaken of tea at the cookhouse, they found Sinclair’s grave, which marks the spot where one of dr George Grey's private secretaries was buried after he was ■drowned in the Rangitata.

PACK HORSE REQUT.SJTIONED. This phase of their journeying <>ve.r, the cousins returned to “Ben McLeod,” somewhat tired and windburned after their two days in the open. Their equipment for the next adventure included a packhorse, and first they had to l>e initiated into the? mysteries of loading and cinching the pack-saddle. On New Year’s Day, about 11.45 a.in., they started for Forest Creek, some 15 miles away. Their path led them through some beautiful scenery, and the going was easy, with black beeches >n one side of a creek and tall tussocky slopes on the other. r lTiey < ainped at a very fine stone hut, perched out in the open, which gave •off a wonderful view of the countryside. TOO ROUGH FOR HORSES. On again next morning for the San Hut.” some two miles further up the ridge, and beyond this point again, they pushed on as far as possible with the horses, finally leaving them tied to the snowgrass. It took them 3 \ hours o*r solid climbing to reach their goal, and then, what a sight. Pretty mountain flowers were growing alj along the slopes—white 4i nd yellow daisies on slender stalks swaying in the breeze, and then a tiny white flower like a violet to complete the? contrast. As they proceeded along they came to a mountain tarn, all blue and seemingly bottomless, it was not far from this ]>oint that they reached the snow line, and the scone presented from this vantage point was superb. GLIMPSE OF MT. COOK. Far ahead of them, steep, majestic mountains loomed up proud and stately, and away in tine far-most point the lofty peak of Mt. Cook was seen overshadowing the other tops, while gqrgcons deep valleys with their pastel shaded stretches oil shingle extended for miles on the < ' t side. They stayed for some t. xhfjr inking in the wonders of this new, and very reluctantly made thei way down the s' l ope again to where the horses had been tethered. rhe animals had broken loose, and were slowly wending along back to

camp. The horses seemed glad when their riders eventually caught up n ith them, but their gladness was nothing to_ the relief experienced by the two girls, who wore very tired iincl sore after their arduous climb, but revived later when they bathed in the icy water of Forest Creek. DEER SURPRISED.

Next clay the horses were given a rest and a short walk was made to the lii 11 behind the Stone Hut, where the explorers found the Pinnacles, a queer collection of rock-like formations, all beautifully shaded in blue and yellow* A ride up Butler’s Creek was the next day’s programme, and they were thrilled to see some deer, which stood still, gazing at them in fascination, and then bounded away m a flash, crashing up through the thick beech forest that lined the hills all around. Rising at 5 next morning the girls followed up Moonlight Creek for a long way and looked back over the Rangitata River and to “Messy/ both of which stood out grandly. THE FINAL STAGE. On January 6 it had been arranged that the owner of “Ben McLeod” would meet the pair and take them right along the rim of the Ben McLeod Range, some fifteen miles, to the homestead, and so they were astir as soon as it was light' enough to see the horses, and so at 6.15 that morning the party set off, Miss Boyd leading the packhorse, and getting very wet as she brushed through the bush grass, and over strips (J slushy bog. All the while the air was thick with mist, but they plodded on and reached Butler's Saddle, which is 6000 feet above sea level. FOG ON ALL SIDES. They waited at the Saddle for some time* hoping that the fog would lift, for the track was very narrow, and it would have been useless going on. After a while they decided to go hack and had got al>out half way down, when suddenly the fog cleared and enabled them to take in the wonderful view before them. It was a disappointment that the mist had prevented them from taking the route over the range, but they were determined to do this on the next trip. A DUCK'S ANTICS. The.* last morning the horses wandered away up to the San Hut, but were eventually caught, and Miss Boyd had an enjoyable walk up to the creek bed in her search, and on the: way up saw more deer and a host of paradise duck. One old duck made unmistakeable efforts to. attract her eyes and while this little performance was being enacted her little ducklings were running away to safety as fast as they could go. The two faithful thoroughbreds soon had the travellers back at Ben McLeod homestead, and after lunch they repacked their kits to go by mail cair, and mounted the horses for the last ride back to Peel Forest on their last stage of a most memorable trip. They arrived at Peel Forest about 9 o’clock that night after a 40 mile ride and then gave themselves and their horses a much-needed meal. Both Miss Boyd and her cousin were by this time as brown arid fit as could be and had enjoyed every mile and moment of their holiday, even when the horses broke away and they pricked their legs with the spear grass!