TARANAKI GIRL GUIDERS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1930, Page 9

TARANAKI GIRL GUIDERS

CAMP AT NEW PLYMOUTH. . OPENING ON FRIDAY. Half a mile from the sea, ■ and sloping from high land to a picturesque bathing pool on the Henui River, lies the fine property, which through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. T. Avery, of New Plymouth, has been made over to the Scouts and Guides of the town. On Friday of this week a Taranakiprovincial camp for Guiders will open on this site, when over '2O Guiders from various parts of the North Island will assemble for training under Miss W. Lysnar, of Gisborne, as Camp Commandant. The head of Guide camping for New Zealand, 1 Miss Alison Kebbell of Levin, will be in camp for a few days to test the trainees in campcraft. Miss Duthie, of Heretaunga, and Mrs. John Houston, Divisional Commissioner for South Taranaki, will also be in 'camp. In addition to general training, the main object of the camp is intensive training in campcraft. The party will be under canvas, but, in accordance with one of the regulations for Guide camping, other adequate shelter is available. This consists of a fine structure of corrugated iron, capable of housing a considerable number. The building has recently been erected under the supervision of Major Sandford, the head of Scout training, assisted by enthusiastic local Scoutmasters. Mrs. Wilson, of New Plymouth, has also placed her cottage at the disposal of the campers for use in case of need,

Flanked with punga and other native bush which clothes the Henui,, the camp site is to-day a quiet and peaceful spot; but there was a time when it was well known to the Maori, whose feed, crossed and recrossed this land many a time. Close beside are the trenches of old-time pas and fortifications. The slopes behind the camp site are crowned with the fosses of Puke-ti (the hill of the cabbage trees) and to this day the sword-like leaves of the ti wave on the slopes of the pa. Just across the Henui rises the Parihamore pa, round which centre stories of days long gone. Beyond Pari-haraore the afternoon sun lightens Puke-o-tipua, the hill of the fairies, where once was a grove of puriri trees, now replaced by cultivations. (Mr. W. H. Skinner, of New Plymouth, the wellknown authority on Maori lore, has kindly consented to give a talk to the Guiders at one of their campfires about the history which centres round the camp site, and this promises to be an interesting feature of the camp.