A CANOE EXPEDITION.

Wairarapa Age, 17 March 1925, Page 7

A CANOE EXPEDITION.

MASTERTON TO WELLINGTON. BY BUAMAHUNGA AND LAKES. Mr F. G. Harding, who is a wellknown Wellington yachtsman, has with his two sons, aged 11 and 12, made a most interesting trip in a 15ft canoe of the'Kayak type, from Master ton down the Waipoua and Ruamahunga rivers through the lakes and Palliser Bay to Wellington. The tiny craft is a decked-in canvas canoe with a good keel for sailing purposes, and carries a jib, mainsail, and jigger. Two double-bladed paddles were used. River Dangers. The canoe was railed over the Rhnutakas from Wellington (for 13/6), and “stores” were taken in at Masterton. At 11.30 on a Thursday it was launched in the Waipoua river, which proved shallow and tricky. In places the crew had to walk alongside, and even where there was plenty of water hidden snags and scattered rocks made travelling slow and wary. A hidden snag tore a hole in the canvas, restricting the day’s travel to three miles. From the confluence of the Waipoua and Ruamahunga better progress was made. Deeper water made it possible to shoot the rapids, though twisty currents required skill in handling the eggshell craft, and 16 miles were covered next day. On the Saturday an early start was made, but within a quarter of an hour the canoe was carried under overhanging willows in a rapid and capsized, every* thing being soaked, and most of the stores lost. It was too early in the day to halt and dry out, so they pushed on, but at midday were holed again. Sixteen more miles were covered that day, the water improving every mile. Better going still brought the captain, bosun, and crew to Martinborough by 11.30 a.m. Here a spate in the river helped them along, smoothing out all the smaller rapids, but in a “ tail-twisting ” rapid of heavy water a paddle broke and disaster was narrowly averted. Despite a halt for repairs, 18 miles was made that day. Sluggish and wider waters next day permitted the hoisting of the sails for the first time on the voyage. Emerging into Lake Wairarapa, a head wind made heavy paddling against a severe jobble until the outlet was reached, and. the river was entered again. Lunch among inquisitive pukekos was eaten at the outlet into Lake Onoke, and the coast was reached at sundown, 20 miles, making 73 in all, having been accomplished. The Canoe at Sea. Mr Harding, had. thought, if a light southerly was blowing, of sailing back through the lakes and making a portage to the rail at Featherston, but next day, as it was very calm, and the manager of the sheep station assured him that there seemed to be very little, wave-break on Cape Turakirae, the conditions seetaed perfect and they carried the canoe over the shingle spit to the sea. “I wanted to sail the boat round, and the boys to follow along the beach, but they were so miserable about it that I let them aboard. A light south-easter was blowing. Later on the wind changed to the northwest, and squalls cme down the gutlies, so that I had to keep in close to keep out of the jobble. A school ot porpoises seemed rather curious about us. The wind strengthened, and the 12-milo paddle to the Cape was very hard going, but she took most of the water on deck, and little going into the well We saw.,a launch anchored fishing, which we -thought had sighted us and therefore pushed on. Afterwards I found she had not seen us, low down in the water as we would be from her deck. When we reached the Cape the launch had taken up the anchor and gone. By this time it was very hard pulling indeed, and we were wet all the time. Round the Cape ,the wind, coming out of the Orongorongos, was worse than ever, dead ahead. Wo were all tired, and the boy on the paddle was half asleep, so I decided to make a forced landing before we were all too done up. So we landed amongst big round boulders on the Cape, near where the Devon came ashore. Wo swamped in the surf, and all hands went overboard, but we stuck to the canoe, hanging on to the keel, and getting her ashore in a strong backwash. The canoe was badly holed, and we left her there, spending the night at Orongorongo station, where the canoe was taken next day. It came back to town by lorry. We did just 103 miles in her. ’ ’