A HOLIDAY RAMBLE IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT.

Southland Times, Issue 3297, 14 January 1879, Page 3

A HOLIDAY RAMBLE IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT.

•-".. - ■ v v..., „..,-. ..«* Having for. a long time past contemplated V a trip to the Western Distiict, I had come to the conclusion that it would be better to deV fer it untU the raUway to Riverton was completed; but as this veTy desirable consummation seems -to have been relegated to the Greek calends, I was at length persuaded- to ; avaU myself /of tlie : ordinary means of locomotion. One fine morning recently I secured a box seat on one of .the coaches which -travel the route via- WaUacetown. and in a little: over three hours reached our southern Brighton. The road, for the best part of the way, is, at this season of the year, very good. After crossing the iron .bridge at Waianiwa, traces were found of the damage occasioned by the disastrous floods of some three months ago. Men were busily employed in effecting repairs to the road, whUe the fences and.ad- - Vjacent paddocks bore the marks of submergence. The works carried pn by the different road boards are beginning tp^be apparenfr '.'.-. on the face of the country. Just alongside of the Waianiwa school reserve a districtrpad * has been formed for some distance, running V past - the property, of an 'old friend, ' i'r /•Speaker" WUson. '/On the lef t-hand side of the main road/ the; farm-steadings of Mr John Wilson, /Mr Lachlan Fraser, and Mr P. \ VGilkisbn' are observed, an we gradually : get aihore extended view of the Waimatuku Flat. .1 must confess that I was greatly dis- . appointed with the small amount of progress in the way of cultivation that/has been made . in this district. .A J good many "years have passed since I had previously paid it a:*visit, and I fully expected, to see the rank wild y ; grass; supplanted by fields of waving corn or -. green pastures. There Vare, it is,,true, a few exceptions to the somewhat sweeping condemnation whicli has beenvre.corded, and I should have been .pleased jto /bare^been able^ to mention the names : , of those , who are" actively engaged in/the heroic work of subduing nature, but to my surprise I found but. when it Was, too late,.that bur "whip " -was a comparative stranger to the district, consequently I cbuld glean very little information . from him.' This was unfortunate, /for /an in- - telligeht and communicative driver is^aVgreat acquisition in a -journey by rOad. It; was somewhat tantalising; just when a perfume of cloverwas borne'Vupohvthevwindj'riot to be "able to get a satisfactoryanswer/to the query, " Who's place is that?'', yThe temptation was gr^t to exclaim with Shelley :.-r- V. / "The limits.of the sphere/of dream, The bounds of -true and false are pastLead us on-thoU "wandering, gleam, Lead us onward," far and fast." "And we were how trayellin*g very, fast, for the '• ' ■ opposition coach -had been lef t Vbehind, and ■ "we Were traversing a long stfetch^of 'excellent rOad which leads into ; the prettily situated town of Riverton. Riyerton has. made considerable progress : during the last" five years. . It seems to have prospered under Its municipal • government, for: the /streets app^ear. to be wellvkept." :Its / main thofouglifareV^s, fairly, lined... pn ,:both - sides by^ busine^:prehiis€i.s/nbt;by any/means, to theVfuUvleng'th if. the rail Way '"station/ is- placed' at/the 'foot of : / Paddock'"street, : as I-'was irifprrhed .it;is;:ih/tendedtt^at it ..should -be, when. the.' r lihe is .' ultimatelyycbmpleted the upper end of >the town will Vrapidfy' fill up. Indeed sections in that lbc"aUty/aie now fetching long prices, £850 ha^gVbeen/r'ecently paid for a corner /'.'/:bne / \''TheV|bn_g_'f/p'y;er the riy^ vta/Sduth 'V^ it is/ T very long, and seems 'to be a solid structure. --I.understand^is'the "/Rialtp'Vof the townsfolk. There: are a feW:;hice residences on the south side ; ; the Rpman CathoUc chapel there is a ; conspicuous object.: The ground opt which it is: ■ ■:. built wasafreegiftiromMrvD. Jif; v Cameron; y hehce^heerection-o'f the chapelVonvthat side •:/ of the" river."-' 'Ariarge hotel, vwhicli-bccupies a commanding situation . oh jthe hill-side, is now nearly completed. Cbntiguousyto: this .. there is a store bf no; mean proportionsV 'AlSouth Rlyertpn has nofcibeen.behind in the march'iof progress. T should hot omit to mention that a^deUghtf ul view of ; the surV- rounding: countfy : is .obtained by ascending ■'-.'' the ,hUl for a little distance. " y . V vy-; After spending an hour brtwp in Riverton, - a buggy was procured:; ; together with a nagj y warranted not to. ;.'t jib," ; and a start was V'made-for Otantan, my companion and I.de-; V / termining to make that tbetermihatibh of our -day's journeyy Although strangers to X the . V road, we" Were: iinformed.;that it/was in good condition ali^theywayy: and this We found to be theiact, ytbanks tbj,the Wallace CouhtyCouncil, ;which /is^dping go6dwprk,as faS as ./ its/means \^l;pw Vbvcr juni^ctionyv A meed/of /-/praise^shbuM/alsorb'e;acc6fded : tb/the Aparima V Road /Board/for vitVW& inactive operation V long - befbie Vthe: (SoaioAtf : i Councilf came '"' into; • V existence, and many Vimpbi-t^/TVprks have v V been v successf uUy eamedVvp^V^under Vits ; inan^ementy:"V^6tfwe/i^ of / vthe hUI at Gummie's ßush; spme^ce f arms^ V ;ib a;i^h:state/pf Vcii^y^p^ w;ere disclosed. - -y On-the <raerh^d-|beri-^ /// : / . Ho.pcrof t, V*^ith a ma Y 'yi<pe'",qtl^ // Y. /some -disfahce '/ ; 'the', ; -:,r6fi_'.Vhas""-'%'>'hp^_-like; appearance, the fine healthy h-*dges;pn either side producing this ; effect.V The land ls occu-piedbj^*l4^-s launders, Stewart, Calmer,

Officer^ MiUafy ahd- : 6t_ers;Vone of the most -bnspicuous properties Vbeing that 'belonging: to the Messrs Cumming, which seems to' be i thoroughly well tilled. f A The rabbit pest was not presented to bur view until we reached the neighborhood of . Mount Fairfax, where bunny was scampering about in every direction. -At one place, '\ on the formation for .Vthe Otautau railway line, hereVwereV oyer aY hundred VrabbitsV con-V gregatedy ;It seemed as if they, had; been 'confabulating upon some mat ter of high importance to bunnydom. Be that as it may, the rattle . of our wheels brought the vconferenceto aV sudden terminatiouj for,, the creatures went scampering off to their burrows as quickly as if -'it few rabbittera' .dogs; bad got. among them. It was highly amusingitb watch how the rabbits, when they suddenly heard a noise, . \vould COU themselves .up, and look to all appearance as if they were a clod or tuft of burnt grass.; .When they found that no danger -was near.: they turn ed up their ears and frisked about quite janutUy. I was' informed that Where strenuous ... efforts arc - made . the Vpest can be kept under, and ultimately reduced to moderate dimensions. It is api ty,. however, that by the carelessness or neglect of a fe\v individuals the nuisance should be aUo wed' to spread. The extensive estate in the; Aparima; district, 6wned.;by the: Australian and; New Zealand Land Company,: is situated, for the most part, oh what the rankees ■■■call; | £ the .^oothills/'Vand-. possesses several fmUesvpf ' frontage' to the Vroad. The property is kept sblety for grazing "purposes; . The land varies inVquality, thaton the hUI ; sides being not nearlyso valuable as the river ; flats :'; of the latter I was pleased to observe a fair proportion. The Aparima, in this Jbcality spreads over va wide ;area when-in flood, but /atj the time "of . : 'my- visit; it was : confined : to Y its ' natural channels; On the opposite side of i.che Cpmpany's^ancl; is. situated;the/Ringway- . estate,) V;a; property? \fr3bc.e*dtlyY acquired! by V several; Dunedin 'gentlecaen. They are carj-yingypnVsorieWhatiexteusiye operations, . eight double-furrow ploughs being employedou contract work. Most of the land is oh the terraces. 'Presently the township of Otautau appears in view, and the extensive Aparima, plaiu is thereafter unfolded. The hamlet', possesses ; two -.hotels, I theyi.Bevitable smithy, and shoemaker's shop, besides sundry other 1 /buildings of .more or less note. When railwa3 r Communication is established with ; Riyertbn, :(and ?. the epptractor . saypyhe will/ finish the work in three months) an impetus wiir be given to Otautau'fOr some timevtb come. We drove; on/to the residence of Mi" James. Mackintosh, of Strathmore, where;we were hospitably received and entertained, and spent a pleasanty.eyening -with thatv gentleman's family. V ■"-■■■•-■ ' ... ...; Next morhihgVgavie r : prohiise of glorious weather. On stepping outside the'scenew'as enchanting.' 1 VWe felt' as if Vwe were on clas? sic ground. Names which had long been familiar tp us had now obtained, so far as; we were concerned, their local habitation.; Although it would be scarcely correct to- 'describe the Aparima Plain as " a beauteous vale embosomed in; the mountains," still the hills in the vicinity of Strathmore heighten, the charm of- the, landscape. 7 -There on tbe south- west side is the Longwood range, clothed; from base-to .summit' with trees in their darkcolored foliage. Towards the north the Taj kitimo Mountains, still streaked with snow, look down upon the lesser hiUs and the fertUe plains beneath, while here and there we get: a glimpse of i some bf^ the West .Coastranges, also partially enwrapped ihawintry mantle. Away to the eastward, almost: as far as the eye can reach, there is an immense tract of fine level country. Commencing at the Moonlight Ranges, where Captain Raymond's property is situated, we have .pointed out to us the Mount Beaumont and Wrey's Bush Stations, which are embraced in the Wairio district, where a number; of def erred payment settlers have located themselves. Our attention is next directed "! to Mount Nightcap, where,-itis generally understood, an inexhaustible su2*-ply of coal is stored up for the future use of those who may inhabit this part . of New Zealand. ' Tis pity that the prospect of getting the fuel for immediate use seems at present somewhat remote, owing to the battles which have to be fought over the rival railway routes. Taking the eye away from Mount Nightcap, and foUowing the next range, we come to the Waieola homestead, which has finely wooded hiUs in tbe background. Further on we see Scott's Gap, and then Raymond's Gap, through which the road to the Waiau proceeds. This road traverses the Merrivale estate, past* Etstern Bush, and then on to the Waiau. It gets terribly cut up in bad weather ; but a great improvement in the means of communication will shortly be effected, for the work of building a new bridge across the Otautau is now progressing. When this is completed it is intended that a new road shall be made from the main highway to Raymond's Gap ; from thence to the Waiau the road is to be formed and gravelled. This work is under the direction of the WaUace" County Council. After having duly admired the surrounding scenery, which contains " a world of things enjoyable," we turn our attention to the Strathmore estate. It is soon apparent that the proprietor, Mr James Mackintosh, is not one of the crowd of obscure laborers who are truly said " neither to attain to success themselves nor to bequeath an animating example to posterity." The selection of this land in the first instance (not alone for its situation, but also for,itsfertility) is sufficient proof of Mr Mackin--tosh's sagacity and foresight. It is pleasing to look upon the splendid pastures, extending for miles, the grass in many places being literally up to the knees ; but it'wUl be more pleasing still to see the land dotted with happy homesteads. And the proprietor has ; afforded to those who are possessed with the earth-hunger an; opportunity of acquiring a; Vchoice property,- for the estate has, been; subdivided into twenty farms, varying in size from 90 acres to upwards of 300 acres, and is to be-submitted tp; public auction ;on the 23rd, inst., bnjjyery; liberal 'term's,:, 'payment extending over a period of eight years. Mr Mackintosh is likewise the owner of 15,000. acres of -fine- land in the Oreti i Plains, known :• as the; " Giadfield Estate, '/ to which he desires to confine his attention -by concentrating his energies and capital upon its improvement;/ Hence his determination to dispose Of Strathmore. This fine estate comprises 3165 acre§ of land,:bpunded t o.n the south-west by the Otautau- Eiverj oii; the east. by the Aparima or Jacob's River, and inter-' sected on the north-west by the Opio stream. It a,djoins^lie:.town'shiJ) of /Otautau, and is connected therewith by a substantial bridge. It is supposed that the level country/ had Vbe"en'>^t : fpn6 time the bed of a fresh water "laker" There "are, scattered here and/ there, ; some curious blufl_, whose faces are quite ' sheer, evidently,. worn, by the action: of Wafer. Rivers have drained the water: away,: one of whichj ho doubt, ran.: through the Waimatiiku YaUey i ,The. . foregoing, of . , course, is mere" conjecture, aiid I giye/it ; for 'what it may/be worth. -.;..-. To: cpme to/facts..- Th,e;. land, which is. rich river:flat,vUes/foi*;the mosfc substratum of gravel and, sand, there being 'a depthof alluvial deposit varying from" one.tp four feet. ..V About two-thirds .of the estate have been: cultivated, : and for v . the'- most part sown /down with artificial grasses. It is at-, present fenced and subdivided into sixteen; paddocks. _ : Whe^^;.]_j.-; ;^je^intoa_''.' .cpmr/ : mended Vto "farm ity "some "hihes years ago,: the. r land grew heavy crpps-bf . wheat,^barle^; athcl Voats. . ' The Y .wheat was of ' excellent^ quality, and averaged 40 bushels /pei' acre-ya result 'unquestionably / attributkble to / /the/ warmth of the sbU, produced /by the/ fine natural .drainage. The: yield of barley .was from _6 to V_s bushels per acre;/ and oaf s_ were always an excellent crop. But notwithstanding ,tbe/'a^^ , j>rpduced by/this fertile ; land, v/the"^khho/stV impassable state of the rpads in the pearly., idays; rendered/it Vqmte. iihp.o^siblei ct to carry bWyfarming ywith vaiiy degree V of success, the/ whole/ of the ' profits being -swaUowednp by the Cost of cartage to market. : Now,".hbW'Cter, this bas; been altered, for there is a good gravelled; rbad nearlylthe. r whple/pfi the/way.. tq/Rivert^jyVYith railway V/h 1 ? :C 9lh?se |-of V-cottstrUciibh, tcybe imlhM; /sfevalready^ stated/ fnftl^e* months. The soil appears ;tpbe/ad.miral)ly adapted to tHteV'growtliyof : ;: clo verferV axid '■-■'. tiiriiips,ytliere being; now a plethora of - grass. Of ( growing; 1 crops f. there 'is^6iie r! rfi^ld :';cbhtainihg*lsQ/a;cres: of .cocksfoot, which it is Intended to eutVf br/ se^V) Another ;field:V was .ydevoted ;tp|Vthe growth Vof tiir'nip /seed, of that fine; Variety knbwh asi WaUe's eclipse!;: this was //cut land read^Vf or/thrashing.^ field 6f%^y^ .-sowiii^/the crop ilooked 'uhcbmmbhly fresh and prbmising.v The bulk of Jtheestaf c has heeh grazed ;by sheep for a number of Vyears,';^h:d is nbw/;in : fine,;coriditibn;/tb:-b^^ again,: whehyit V would :^;dpiibtless -^yi^ldya: spleridi^relragi^' It/is : :nbtewbrt^^iat^6r; manyVye%s.;Mr;MacMntosh-'tb^^ fprvv^eat/^^graih/ shpwrs he^at^Riyerton: ; and f lii^ef i/that^h - onlyy&io/ PPUnU of ; diffei^ee ihVweight;' be- ; tweeh::the:wheat grown at/gt^athmbre/ahd: th^ Adelaide^wheat which /caCT-iedbfffirsthbhprs at one ; of /the exhibitions held in^ Loiidoay The- land ;grpws magnificent tur^ y^ars a^6/^r/^fackihtosh ohtaihedvtliQ /firf-c/

_M_3__W__W_B-IBW»IMM_M--W-W~-~i»^«™^^»™^ rpnze! at ;^V^bn : fbr "eblipses"V weighing from ieibs to lßlhs each. Theseimmense : bulbs came out of 'iewspUyra thout even a particle ; bf/hianure.V ; -Ov-fihj*- to vth^Vgfeat ; breadth of; the plains ihvthisvlbcalityi- Strathmore .was but slightly affected by the recent heavy .floods. Vimm-diat^yvhelbw. , the vtownship, however, the space .becomes narrower, and the concentrated;' waters:vafVthe Otautau and Jacob's rivers: make a formidable stream, whicbj oh ifeVwayVdowh; the- valley V of fhe Aparima^ caused,- onV they occasion ; referred:: to,Vv some ' litfcleV destructiph; - VBnt liotwith--j standing this fact, it may safely be; said that ! the Aparima hasVdone lessdamage in the way |of flooding than: any other river in Otago.j .;.. As ,we had only; a .limited 'amount of time a t otir v'disppsal; ' w,e V were compel led : to make but 'a short; stay; at; Otautau; ;--, ; We': therefore returned to Riyertpn in the afternoon, getting ; ~o ver ; the disi^hce (20 mileis) Vin less than a couple of hours;- This "prpvesthat the" road is a good-one. yyvy' y : V y'V: : ■■ ■ : yi- ■-. Next day we;visited Flint's Bush,.passing on our way thither the fineproperty of Rivereleigh, the residence of Mr M.V Instone. V: There are some nice farms in- tMsV locality, notably thbsW of . Messrs. VEaU, v McLean} ; and. J. ;W. Hamilton/ VAt : v theVhpuse- of thevlatter ; we were^heartily : welccme'd;' ; Mr Haniiltoh is one- of those VwhbVhave been; successful in' making farming : 'payV . Commencing with 200* acres, he has hpw.acquh-'ed between 900 and 1000 acres in 'different parts :of the district. - Having: succeeded in laying, down the greater part of his .first selection, in .English -.; grass, 'operations are how mainly confined; to. grazing. V; Sheep, Rafter. all, asv Mf;Hamiltph says,, .are the;;farmers' frien4.; Their: .tread, as well -: as ,: their fleece, is how . ; recognised 1 to : beVg6ldeh..' ! :VThey '-pay; t-wice-70.hce-.lh the fleece, and 'ohce in the : carcase. "MiyHamil- ,: ton .-.; had j ust completed. ; shearing, and we >were shown fleeces which Weighed from 15 to "IS^pbhiids. -;VThe;value;of shelter vis'f ully ap-; preciated ohVthis "f arm, - for there are- some magnificent quick hedges, Which afford,; to all kiiias -'of stock, /ample pTOtectioh'froni the •rudest.bl ast. VNbr 'has ; tree ' plantihgVbeen neglected, -Mr^Hamilton having- laid ; off a corner of each;o£ his vpaddocksipiVthis purpose! Thisjs an example which; ought to be more extensively followed. Our native forests (are fast disappearing, and no adequate provirsion is being made for our timber supply of the future. . Firs of seven . .and . eight years' growth f are now: ;f uUy ;20 : feet high,;prpving-: the suitability pf:the> soU;for .the..acclima-tisatioh^-of these .\trees. i) Attached .to. the stpckyafd, there" is ■ .a laTgevshed. for fattening cattle in the winter V- Here they" are . allowed to move; about, V -lahd'areV liberally suppUed with- turaips, : the. amount of manure created beingan import-ant factor in the net 'result. -A good <dealV of attention; is paid, tovdauyiiig, Mrs .Hamilton ; being noted for her: excellent butter. ; At this farm we had- an illustration of the truism that, where industry and well directed energy are united . ,to frugality, prosperity is sure to follow; . . .;'.-.-• .';'•.',.: After, leaving Mr Hamilton's we followed the district '., road to . the top -pf the hill on which is situated the'.fprmer residence of the late Capt. Howell, -now the property -of Mr Robert Tapper. From here we had a. good view of the surroiihding Vcouhtry, where we saw " greeh lush -fields " ; nicely interspersed ih the long rolling downs; . Ovir return joui> ney was made partly by. a bye-rdad, which was found ; to be rather rough. We regaihedthe main : district road* at Foster's. Junction . Hotel, where the railway line is crossed. We; reached Riverton just in time to catch the afternoon coach to InvercargiU, and brought ourthree days' holiday.. to. a close, sadly begrimed by;. .dust,, bufc. greatly delighted with the fine country we had passed through.