MILFORD SOUND

Southland Times, Issue 21729, 15 June 1932, Page 9

MILFORD SOUND

A TRIP IN THE WAIRUNA. Mr Norman Beer and his party, of Riverton, had a rather eventful trip down the coast on the last occasion they visited that locality. According to the diary or “log” kept by one of the crew the passage is chronicled as follows:—The launch left Riverton for the Sounds at 8.40 p.m. on May 16, and arrived at Preservation Inlet at 10.40 a.m. after experiencing a strong south west wind and rough seas on the 17th. Stores for the lighthousekeepers and miners were landed, and on the 18th we left the anchorage for Dusky Sound, but had to put back into Chalky Sound. We dropped anchor in Sealers’ Bay for the night. On the 19th another start was made, but we had to put back into Roderique’s anchorage. From that date up to the 22nd the launch was sheltering there, and on the 23rd she left Roderique’s at 8 a.m. for Dusky; ran into heavy sea out at Cape Providence, but got into Dusky Sound, ran through Acheron Passage into Breaksea Sound, and dropped anchor in Stevens’s Cove at 5 p.m. after 27 hours from home. On the 24th we were weather-bound again blowing from the south and snowing. On the 25th we tried to push on, but ran into a heavy sea and had to put back into Stevens’s Cove. We left the anchorage at 7.30 in the morning of the 26th and arrived at George Sound at 5.10 p.m., and anchored in the first bay big enough to let us swing in. On the 27th we left George Sound at 4.50 a.m. and arrived at Milford Sound at 11.30 a.m., the trip taking '43 hours all told. We unloaded stores for the hostel and loaded Public Works Department cargo for home. On the 28th we left for Riverton at 7.40 a.m. and had to put into Anita Bay at 8.40. Smoke was rising on the trip up the Sound, so we decided to go ashore and found Messrs Murrell and McDonald camped there. On the 29th we left Anita Bay at 3.40 a.m., and went ashore at Catseye Bay, arriving at Carswell Sound at 4.10 p.m. On the 30th we left Carswell at 9 a.m. and arrived at Luncheon Cove at 8 p.m. The next day we were still at Luncheon Coye,

weather-bound. We went out in a dingy to look at the weather, but there was too heavy a sea, with a westerly wind and it was raining. On June 2 we left Luncheon Cove at 6.50 a.m., and were back in Preservation at 11.20. On June 3 we went cray fishing, and caught 4£ dozen. On the 4th we went out to the Bellamy Reef fishing and caught half a ton of fish, and saw two sperm whales. We left for home on the sth and fished in the Big River, then came on, arriving at the bar in a heavy mist. The worst part of the trip was coming into the river. The trip occupied three weeks in all.