GOSSIPPY NOTES.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 171, 8 March 1878, Page 2

GOSSIPPY NOTES.

(FROM OAMARU TO DUNEDIN.)

One of our valued gossipping correspondents has sent us an account of his journeying from Christchurch to Dunedin by rail and coach. As we have previously published an account of a journey south as far as Waimate, we commence the narrative at Oamaru. Of the town of Oamaru our correspondent writes in glowing terms, but his description being too lengthy for our columns, we have to omit it. He goes on to say : —" We then went on to Oamaru, arriving there about seven in the evening ; it was then raining, but cleared up the next morning, and at five o'clock I was up and inspected the harbour works, beingvery much pleased with what had been done. The crane for lifting the concrete blocks, up to 40 tons weight, is a sight to see, as it not only lifts them, but " will travel with 40 tons hanging to its double jib as easy as a man could carry a gin

case"—so said, I fancy, the watchman, who was a good fellow, and tried to explain things. The machine travels upon eight wheels—four on each tramway ; one line of rails is at each side of the pier, so that the crar-e is well supported. I should say the trams are about 15 feet apart. The work is very substantial, and there aro numerous concrete blocks ready made to place in position, each of which would weigh 30 tons ; there are also stout criba built to be floated, and then filled and sunk into their places at low water, and these, in comparison to the other blocks, must, I think, be four times as big. The sides of these are taken off after getting into place, but the bottom remains. These are the foundation blocks. At seven o'clock I started away to Dunedin by rail and coach. The railway trip to Moeraki Junction, through most beautiful country, waa quite a treat. I, of course, was out on the guards to see everything. I never saw finer country than that along the old coach road. After leaving the train, I went by coach, through the horse ranges of Palmerston, thence in another coach to Blueskin. The road was capital, not a rut or a jolt, and a nice cool breeze blowing, I in the front, back of driver, Cabbage-tree Ned, who is beginning to age. From Blueskin to Dunedin was grand ; we were continually rising, going round the shortest course to the right and left, seldom more than a hundred yards in a straight line, and in tbis way keeping close to the coast, twisting and turning into every little indentation, till at last one could see nothing in front, a wall of rock on one side, and a precipice clean down to the sea on the other, say 400 to 500 feet in depth. After rounding this—still rising—we go on and on through woodland Scenery up a gorge, till we came to the Deborah Bay tunnel. I think at this point we could be little less than 1200 to 1500 feet above sea level; of course, I have no data, merely a guess. The tunnel was darkness itself; I sat down on the guards, determined to go through with it as I had commenced. I was adjoining the engine, which was a double one, or two bogies, called a Fairlie, after the inventor. Soon the steam was turned offj and we emerged into daylight, which was most welcome, and then homewards steadily and safely till we reached the bottom of the grade at Sawyer's Bay, stopping twice to take up passengers. I watched the driver from time to time easing her, and putting on the steam, looking ahead past the covering, and watching her most keenly, as if he felt that our lives were in his hands, and sometimes leaning his body outwards so that he only cleared the rocks by a few inches. It is worth anyone's while to take a. trip by that line on a fine day ; it is an outing from the Dunedin side that must be seen to know what excitement is and the danger which those travelling apparently incur.