Our Contributors

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 485, 8 March 1881, Page 2

Our Contributors

UP THE MAKAIIORA VALLEY,

Being on a visit of long , duration at Pembroke—a pretty, though small, township on Lake Wanaka—B and I (having Rome spnre time on our hands', determined to go up the Lake road, and then make :\ trip as fur up as Haast's Pass, of which we \\\d heard a great deal. Ihere were tfiree practicable roads to choose from : one was to ride round the west shore of the lake, but finding that this way was rarely used on account of its indifferent road and the treacherous Matatapu River to cross, we rejected that. The next is also to ride via Albert Town, cross the Hawea River high up, and get on the track?on the east shore of Lalo? Wanaka, about ten or twelve miles from its head. This we also abandoned, and determined on taking the third and easiest route, which was by boat from Pembroke to the head of the lake. This wou'd take us up, with a good southerly breeze, in about five hours, the distance being about forty miles.

The prevailing winds are northerly, so that making our preparations, getting a tent and seeing the commissariat department, we had to danco a day or two in attendance on the Clerk of the Weather. However, one fine morning, durinir which the wind had been shifting nboin to the various points of the compass, it settled down about 1 30 into an apparently steady southeily breeze. Finding the skipper hs anxious as ourselves to take advantage of tho change, we aivl our traps were soon on board. We tripped anchor and were under weigh in a very short time. However, no sooner were we fairly off than the. wind chopped round to the eastward, and we had tbeat up for ton miles against a falling breeze. This, of course, was rather annoying, but us we had gono so far w< did not feel inclined to turn back, and even had we wished so to do, t< " sweep " a nine ton boat would hnvi been attended with too much ioy, so w> determined to hang on 'tiring the night and chance a heavy northerly buster dropping on us, which would only hav< had the effect of sending us back 'w> double quick time to Pembroke.

Before sundown we hail lost sight o! Pembroke and had reached the mair body of the hike, which tends to th< northward. What strikes one at one is the transparency of its water, which enables one to see down a great depth. The middle of the lake has never been fathomed ; indeed, the local ho»tmer aver that the bottom has falWi out.. Tli< country on-the west shore is very hiJly. rugged, ae.d bare looking, the hills running down to the water's r<]ge. nw\ forming part of the. slwep station of Mr U. Campbell, who h".s ihe run of tho whole of the country on the west shoio of the lake, with the exception of a iiloek occupied by a Mr Thompson, of Ihe Minarets Statin]), r«s f,-;r as iljr Wiikin Wiver in the Makarora Valley. A bunt eight or nine miles from Pembroke, on the soulli-west side, we jm>sed a small islai'd, which had been stocked with rabbits, and thru increiiscd by the addition of s-veral c-'ts. Naturally, the rabbits were coon exterminated, but what becr«:n;! of the cats remains a mystery, nx none are t>•> be. found there now. [Perhaps they were of the. " Kilkenny " variety, and explorers have overlooked their onh remains : their tails.— Kd. A.M.]

On the opposite side the Molyncux takes its rise, ami tip to thnt point the land bor'luring on th> Iμkc is low lying, then it suddenly becomes mountainous with very iloo.p water right up to to the foot, of the hills. Our boat, which was half-decked and cutter-rigged, was fairly comfortable, lut unfortunately most of our provisions were too securely stowed away to be easily get-at-able, as we never contemplated having to make a night of it on board. Nature asserting herself, wo managed to rummage out a few boxes of sardines, and some bread and choose. That, accompanied with some fair Glenlivnt, supplied the place of better fare. We were bomoming the want of water to dilute our whiskey, and, being overheard by our .skipper, were gently reminded by him to try that over the gunwale, the little fact of our being on fresh water having been entirely overlooked by us, who were so accustomed to cruising on salt water.

As night came on the death-like stillness was most intense, broken only at intervals by the dull fl.-u-pin- of the sails and the occasional wild cry of some flight bird. As soon as it begnn to get chilly blankets were unrolled, and all but our skipper were soon coiled up in their snug fold*, in the most comfortable (?) nooks in which we could bestow ourselves, and after a few yarns and the ever-con-soling last pipe hud been smoked, with the addition of a " night-cap," we were soon in tho arms of Morpheus. The skipper meanwhile stood manfully at his post all th" night through, whistling at intervals with feverish energy snatches of " Nancy Leo " am\ " We shall meet on that beautiful shore, , ' adding the words " by/-nnd bye " in an ironical whisper. The night, luckily, vms fine, and a slight br eze favorable to us having sprung up, daylight found us about ten miles from the head of the lake, and pretty cold it was, till the sun h id been up a little while and aired the world and brightened up the snow-capped monntains around us and the Makarora Valley as far as the eye coul 1 see.

At about eight o'clock we landed at the head of the lake, and after pitching our tent, lighting a fire, and getting the billy under weigh we had a plunge into the lake, which after being cramped up on board for eighteen hours instead of four or five, was very refreshing, and

made our breakfast a meal by no means to be despised. We were now enmped at the foot of Mukarora Valley, which is called aftm- the liver running through it ; this valley must at one time ♦ have formed part of the lake, as it has evidently been made by shingle slips that have been washed down by heavy m rains from the adjoining hills. About three or four miles up, the Wilkin river runs into the Makarora. This valley, (t c Wilkin; contains about two or three thousand acres of very fair sheep country. All the open flat country in tho Makarora Valley is already freehold or Government reserves with the exception of about three or lour hundred acies on Cameron flat, and one or two small flats, not Worth particularising With the exception perhaps of a" few acres near the Makarora Parks station's homestead, « the whole of the land is of a very inferior description. i The above station is prettily situated jat the foot of the ranges running up the enst aide of the valley. About seven miles from the Lake, on tho other sidoJHHfl of the river and at the foot of the opposite, is the homestead of Stewart's sheep and cattle rnn. During the day we took a walk np a small settlement about a mile beyond the station. This settlement consisted pQH of four cottages occupied by bnshmenand an ex-shepherd who had mad > very comfortable houses for themselves, each house hnving a good fruit and vegetable garden attached. Of course we interviewed them and soon had the freedom of the gardens kindly given jj*. us. After enjoying their hospitality w returned to our camp and wiled away the evening by eel fishing and could have Ciught a sufficient quantity to have lis ted us a month. We turned in early a; we had determined on a mountain climb on tho morrow. However, we were doomed to disappointment for it turned out a thoroughly wet day and the next following suit,we were confined to our tent; nevertheless we were not particularly miserable as we had taken Ihe precaution of brin-ing a few books with us, and those with a good supply of tobacco, etc., helped us to get through the two days tolerably well. For all that we were not sorry the third morning broke fine and promised a fine day.

So after an early breakfast to started, forded the Makarora, which took us up to our waists, and commenced the ascent of the hill we had previously selected, ns it appeared less steep and freer from bush than some of its neighbors. It was called Mount Gilbert as we learned after. After a climb of between three and four hours we found ourselves on the snow Hne. and clambered up between and over large patches of snow, till at last we came upon a recently erected trigonometrical station, which, as we afterwards ascertained, was one of a series of stations erected by Mr B rod rick Government surveyor. The cold up here was intense, a bitt Tly piercing wind blowi-.g from the north-west over tho snowy mountiitis from the west coast.

The view from the point was, however, very line and bold. Away to the west and n> rth nothing wns to be seen but the snow clad peaks of the Southern Alps, and far below us from a deep sombre looking gorge appeared the Wilkin river, flowing tow.-.rds its junction with the Makarora nt the foot of Mt. Gilbert. In front of us lay the valley of the Makarora disappearing at the north end into a heavy bush gorge near Haasfc's Pass. To the south there was a grand view of Lake Wanaka with its border of rugged hills, through which, in a break on the eastern side a slight glimpse of Lake Hawea is seen. Altogether the view to any one who appreciates mountain scenery is thoroughly worth the climb. Mount Aspiring is to be seen also, but unfortunately a cloud obscured it. The trig station is, I believe, 5700 ft above sea level.

(To be concluded in our next.)