IN THE EARLY DAYS.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17349, 10 March 1928, Page 9

IN THE EARLY DAYS.

MR COATES' EXPERIENCES WALKING TO KAIKOURA. My mate, Walter Forbes, and myself had just passed a very frosty night on the banks of the Waiauau River in North Canterbury. On our third night from Christchurch we struck a river—--1 forget the name—but it was only a few miles south of the Hurunui. It is not a big river, but it was at that time running- too swiftly for my delicate mate to cross. I tried it, and it took me nearly up to the waist, so we went up the river for about a mile, where we came across a sheep-dipping establishment. We could not see any other dwelling, so we laid our few things on the lloor and covered ourselves as well as we could; but we put in a very miserable night. Next morning on looking round I found a fine lump of damper, which appeared to have been baked a few weeks previously and which was partially eaten by ants. It will give you some idea of how hungry we were—having had nothing to eat for twentyfour hours—to know that after scraping the damper a little we ale the lot. We then went back to the road, and shortly after a four-horse waggon laden with bridge timber came along and the driver gave us a ride across the river, lie fold us that the timber was to build a bridge on the Hurunui River, which, by-thc-bye, was not long built before it was carried away in the great flood (February f, 18G8). After travelling about a mile we came to the Hurunui accommodation house or hotel.

To make up for our previous bad night we stayed at the hotel until next morning. From there we walked to St. Leonard station. Here we found a few more "swaggers," from whom we got a good deal of information—how to go about and what places to call at. The next morning being Sunday, we left, and that night we struck the Wairau River and walked down its side. but had not gone far when we could sec the accommodation house. When we got opposite it we gave a co-ee, and very soon we saw a man coming with two horses, and we soon got a good breakfast. We agreed to stay all day and leave next morning. The hotel-keeper wanted to engage me, but I was hot inclined that way. Next day we made a great mistake, as we found afterwards. We should have gone about Ave miles further to an accommodation house on the bank of the Conway river, as il made it too long a distance to make Kaikoura in one day. The Conway is a bad river to get over, as it lias to be crossed 13 times, the river all the way (lowing across the course from one bluff to another; but. it' is not very deep, although it lakes a long time to do the JO miles. We arrived at the whaling station as it got dark, and it was very little we could get. 1 got a little whalemcal—all they had—also some home-made bread and some tea, but got away early in the morning and had breakfast at Kaikoura.