A STRIP INTO THE UNKNOWN.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20177, 4 March 1931, Page 13

A STRIP INTO THE UNKNOWN.

iING TOUR BY SSTRY PARTY. BRANCH OP THE NUI EXPLORED. unexplored territory there n the world to-day: in New i its youth the tracts of have not been visited by zingly few, and consist as ected of areas for some reainaccessible. Despite the ledge that beyond the wall i that bound Canterbury igled mass of wild scenery, is hard for the Christn the street to realise that omewhere" is a patch of illy merits the prefix "unbe accurate there is such It is situated around the I of the Poulter, the North south branch of the Hurund to-day it is far bettor it was a week ago. It was party of explorers, orgaState Forest Service, set igate this last patch of new erbury. At the same time note and consider the conumv ine forests in the area, the HHhHP* °f deer, the damage done by the prospects for cuUing, and (pben of wild pig and opossum, in; endeavour was to be made also (Pa good pass to Westland from nth branch of the Hurunui. The bu now reeturned, after what was

Ily speaking a successful trip, scheme was first projected and ; rganlsed by Mr W. G. Morrison, i naervator of State Forests for i buy, and Mr H. Roach, the of State Forests'for the North »wy area. They led the. party, 1 j eompaning them were Mr W. j t, the Commissioner of Grown 1 • guide, Mr W. McKay, two. lor buchmen employed by the Service, and a special representaI Thb Pkibs. The following g account of the expedition was E. day by day throughout ' the

BBKbjn» Departure from Hanmer. HlSiiiwfr.ia the morning of Tuesday, .24th, .the party left the State at Hanmer Springn, accomllßmMgEj'ifl two opes motor-rats, and, HBtfMMh# by swags, equipment,, and HH&MHfK.It wascold and bleak, with \ falling "and a cursory BflSWwPilia hills was enough to de■SHMW.'moft'' optimistic. However, HH«Mpiah>p waa made at Balmoral; HgHXPw McKay and further equip■Kranlt picked op, the overcast sky H&pglmfM to -blue; and spirits of but they/were again deIHppMbrtfce time that Hawarden Was HHra»& ; Soma atoreswere taken aboard rain njjrof stony road that^ed. hx&ee folHgpid for much of the fray the Waitohi WmncMrn tfo .worse' ,ip BpfTTrtfifl'thnt the,> temperature . became WmmbT Ux and Mrs Bain, in charge K Ijfc *?• /psbnpier-Crossley's BjffiffcliMifl statioii, welcomed the visitors trae hospitality, and had kept them house only

I lit Utw aqd afterwards ■tony country was encomt•bont one milo the going jrregulwr. TMq wit of the Tivojr flat was ■MSife* -*? 1 * p% jfc£p,t .About 'one 5868 grazMSaSMife 'ilt. Stewart,. the rapi- • ijwicbsa that WfcwrtQ AtfF arid » h&qneli Gfnllpd in tbo Ethat vu made in |?waefeatf<H) w » iotea* pv> Jhnh, was jaainly beecb wlmrp ft number of lnt^pd pa , the ; |OD,tB.v srora pitch*!. |fr could 'tte tw SUJ wwmtf TW -roßliMd! jmknown^' IPSISSp ■r ■ r ;;' \. jdgiri ia twp;'

for convenience's sake the bush on the opposite side of the stream. Numerous deer wallows—circular basins of wet mud in the llooiV of the bush—interrupted the path through the-, wet bush. On one occasion, crossing a creek in the bush, a decided Bmell of sulphur betokened the presence of a hot spring. However, time did not allow of extensive investigations being made. Water and Shingle. . The way tiiruugn the bush ended suddenly, auu tne paity came out into the open again. Anouier possible route along tu£ vauey- ti'orn the' camp was round a bluif tnrougu the forest on' the soutu siuo, but tiiia was deemed impassable, ■However, Mr Morrison elected to try this way, and he succeeded in getting tlirougu, although at times it was almost impossible to proceed. A short distance xurtner up tue flat an enormous shmgie fan was encountered, This was one of the most perfect examples of its kind that had so far been seen. A short distance further on from the large fan there was a large slip that had carried down with it much bush debris. Fissures streaked the surface of the biolten rock at the side, and it was evident that something more potent than the weather had caused the upheaval. When it was noticed that all the slips seemed of the same age, it was realised that they had been caused by earthquake action. It was almost certain that it was the Arthur's Pass tremor in 1929 rather than the big Murohison earthquake that caused the damage, because at the time reports were current all over the backblocks of slips and rumblings. In some csses the slips were 'enormous. Great masses of shingle thrust out into the valley, and from them protruded everywhere the skeletons of trees. From the face o$ the piles»trunks stuck out, and although some of 'the skeletons were easily identifiable ad trees, many bore more resemblance to white bones. '

Towards midday the party rounded the final of many turns in the valley. For the last mile or two the ground vegetation had become more and more alpine in nature, and from the various patches the entire evolution of grassland -could be traced. In some places ; there*were bare stones, then red lichencovered stones, then soft moss-covered stones, until an accumulation of rudimentary soil, prepared the way, for grass. The turning of this last, bend in the valley , wap eventful, because it i opened, to the view a huge protective rampart, constituting a towering mountain that effectively closed the valley. This peal? was considered to be at least 7000 ft high, an# its nature seemed to preclude the presence of a good pass. The Turning Point. . A council of war was held, and dif-ficulty-was found in deciding the best ■course, of action. Accordingly the billy was boiled. Finally the party split into three parts, one to stay, find a camping site, and prepare the tents for the night, another to push ahead, and; investigate the north side of the valley head, and the third the south. This was done, and when the, components again met there was little doubt about the decision. With the provisions and time left it would .have been too hazardous to push ahead* The only available passwas very high, andr trouble would prbbably be beydndrThe only thing to was to turn , and', go back. ~ Although quickly madsi this 'decision fanned in if* way a very'definite climax to the t*ij?i Kvery member of the party knew that it would be gn&Uing work attempt* ing tbp crossing; abd the present point had been reached only at the expense of much energy. Accordingly the decision was made. In the meantime, however, some very interesting data • had been'gathered on the scouting trips of tha north and, south oarties. Beaching a ■■ -Mr BJewart « short space tee he was tlley to the er side, and almost oppostopped on ride ame&w ! basing Both ;to l^akoyer a favorably, with'the flat rat 'travelled!. J Jtrtin yhich s. at 'other/ om-for'each |llnipei)f<itur«i J ery apparent ■fcewt, of >'the' lUlqmeet ?tji& dSa'A^ite 4onr were ma<L 'for' the from .the up ftp|fcerly direction, to'/Hid- the main to 3<tofe of tjra- ; trip was now entones, and- more ptones *wcatfflMMlr thfe: tract continued' up ' Yariptfys 1 and PTM river had J%l pnw and was ac,cpmp^B^ t ed, ; The route-now qi tableland skirtmrtilii t^e 1 du,cli f - apd six-foot/ a^eljghlSiU -'spqij: *on the tehoxes the s W&trdisdfld intotwobya of land£ the centre. to f the .pogth low saddle, 1 beyond that wMjj«lfe y £tefrn6r, and* the parity, hoped, ItffclCay. the car. * j t Homeward. / ..A sbprt ithejarriyal of tlj«> ,caTjjya» at can??, the othew oithe ba*tyr turned up.j weary and footsore. Tfioy <hsd\m}phecj, tljeir objective and hadvi,efred- ppme fine country-in the dirpctjpn of thq Poulter basin* - On the /■various virgin psaks/passes, and a partipttlofls \ striking 1 waterfall they nad •bestowed mnpyi new ,narae». The next 1 mojhvlng, Saturday, was duller, . than ■usjia) ''attfcriftft weather hod, been so "the, length bf the trvp ;that >i£.<waa fT^popsible was made/for l-ake -Swpi•nir. aJtHough the pack*norse had a?ain jrpitvaway; W wrian* hit<?h'ocoim red:" On the tyamp paw the imrtv fncouiii«red string wfya* ; but 'tlm, to IdeurVpf- '' P** o ?*"?* that ninHdefi «Mn" the wa®, Teachr ad ' afr W&iam fras HnJjo^ndea,'elected t6 • c|?iv|w i' ySa'