A HOLIDAY TRIP TO KAIPARA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 51, 19 December 1891, Page 696

A HOLIDAY TRIP TO KAIPARA.

SMALL party was got up by some energetic P People in the neighbourhood of Mount W/ r, Albert, near Auckland, to visit Waikoukou l' district, and also the ocean beach. Horses gL ;>) were borrowed and hired from every avail~'y gggB3| _I3 a b] e place. At the appointed rendezvous '-1 all assembled at three o’clock one afternoon.

A very gay and happy crowd they were, laughing and talking as if none had ever felt a care in the wide world. They passed with a clatter and din of horses' feet through Avondale, Waikomiti, Henderson Mill, and then Song Bills Hill ; now they lose all signs of habitation, except a few kauri gum-diggers’ rapu whares, which look very quaint and pretty nestling among the ti-tree. They now and then meet a stray gum-digger wending his way home with spear and spade in hand, sack on back. They accost him with the usual form of greeting. They then a«?end the ranges, then down into the valley for three or four miles. At last they see stretched before them a sign of habitation, a house with cultivated ground surrounding it, with sheep scattered on the distant hills. This is their destination, and many of the party are heartily glad, feeling, no doubt, rather stiff. On reaching the house, they dismount from their tired steeds, who have stood their thirty-mile ride well. The ladies at once start to prepare tea, while the gentlemen take charge of the horses. After the meal has been partaken of, the washing up is done. <»f course, this is greatly hindered by the gentlemen trying to assist. l- ishing is suggested, and away they go in the dark, this gallant crew, through the grass knee deep in length and wet with dew, so alack for skirts and feet, to fish for eels. After scrambling over three or four fences, the Waikoukou stream is reached, hooks baited, tongues let loose, then merry songs and choruses till the air until a loud scream announces that an eel has been landed on one of the ladies. After that the girls find their feet and skirts very damp ami return, leaving a few of the gentlemen to continue their occupation. By eleven all have come back and found an inviting supper waiting, prepared by fair hands. Then the heroes give descriptions of enormous eels which have been caught, but proving too heavy for their L'iant strength, have been thrown back into the stream. One of the gentlemen favours them with a song. Then they all retire to their greatly-needed rest. By seven the next morning the merry party sit down to breakfast with the greetings from al! sides, * Oh, how do you feel?' etc., etc.

The West Coast was the programme for the day—a fifteenmile ride from the farm, Lien Dale, to the beach. Horses, luncheon, and riders were all ready to start at nine o’clock, the packages being equally distributed among the gentlemen. < >ne had to carry the kettle, which he tied to his saddle, but alas ! the spout took a delight in sticking into the horse's ribs, making the horse prance, and of course causing merry bursts of laughter from the gay cavalcade. The first part of the journey was very pretty, having to pass through burnt bush, the great logs lying across the way giving the place quite a ghostly appearance. In the midst of this stands a large kauri, which had been saved by great risk when the bush was in flames. It stands all alone in solitary grandeur amongst the ruins of its once lovely companions. Sad to relate, this tree is beginning to pine away ; grief perhaps is killing it. After gazing for some time at this tree, they continue their journey first over a charming little bridge which brings them to Waimauku Station. A few of the settlers’ stockingless children come to watch the noisy crowd pass through. After this they enter upon a dreary country of fern, ti-tree, etc., but stretched before them are those weird ironsand hillsglimmering in the distance. Every year this sand is encroaching. Suddenly the word ‘halt’ is given. The kettle has got free at last, and is left behind, so one returns to pick it up. After losing their track half a dozen times, they come in sight of the sea Oh! what a grand sight! Great billows dashing on the shore, while the roar was deafening. To descend the cliffs was the most difficult thing, as they were so dreadfully steep, that the riders found it impossible to sit their horses, «o they dismounted and led them. The latter part of the

journey was very pretty and interesting, having to pass t hrough a bush of puriri, pohutukawa, and yellow kohi, which grew most luxuriantly. The last cliff was the worst; it was nearly perpendicular. Most of the horses put their feet together and slipped down, one of them nearly falling on the person who was leading it. The whole party then went into ecstasies over the lovely dell they had just entered, the very place for a picnic, so shady and cool with these large puriri and Christmas trees spreading their branches overhead, a sweet little stream running through the trees, and the sea three hundred yards in front making music with its roar. But they found they were not the first to discover this shady retreat, for two men were seen lying full stretch eating their lunch. While the gentlemen attended to the quadrupeds, the girls took the kettle to the stream to fill, but alas ! dreadful to recount, the water ran out of the side. Happily the other two visitors came to their rescue by lending them their billy, and also rekindling their fire. After luncheon, which they were greatly in need of, the ride having been hot and dusty, they wander along the beach, catching large star fish off the rocks, and rushing away from the great waves, which seemed to wish to carry the whole party out to sea. About three o’clock they saddled and remounted their steeds, taking them for a walk in the sea. The first great wave that rolled round frightened the riders dreadfully. Each one felt they were being washed out to sea. The look of consternation on everybody s face was really remarkable. The reason they felt this awful sensation was that the undercurrent being so strong, when the large wave receded, it carried the sand back with it, and everything looked as if it were slipping out to sea. Some of the party screamed, ‘Oh, we are in a quicksand,’ On their return they all hail to dismount to ascend this steep cliff. Half of the riders climbed to the top to catch the horses while the rest remained behind to drive them up with stock whips. On reaching Glen Dale the girls went first down to the canal to have a swim, and the gentlemen after. The canal was made some years ago across a triangle of Waikoukou river to prevent the kauri logs being stranded when they were sent down with the freshes. In the centre of this canal is a large waterfall formed by the freshes. In this basin is the swimming place about 20 feet deep, and the banks were extremely steep of 12 feet. They all returned, greatly refreshed, for their tea, and the remarks were very complimentary in regard to their sunburnt appearance. One of the gentlemen had a particularly red nose. The jokes at his expense were very numerous, but he blandly turned upon them with the riddle, ‘ When is a nose not a nose ’’ After sundry attempts at an answer the whole party save it up, and were informed, ‘ When it-is a little reddish. ’ Some mistook it for radish, and the screams of merriment were deafening. The whole of the next morning was delightfully spent in the bush. In the afternoon they returned to their various homes, tired, of course, after their ride, but all having thoroughly enjoyed themselves.