A BUSH TRAMP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 129, 24 February 1908, Page 3

A BUSH TRAMP.

• WAIKANAE TO UPPER HUTT. ' (Specially Written' fob The Dominion.) > This lis'inqti a glimpse into-.tho purgatory of Dante ,or , the lofty-realms of Milton, but fin( epic hearts'-.', of'-two; girlsV who set out one'morning to walk from- Waikanao • through Akatarawa-to the Upper Htitt. 'A jovial bushmany 'whose- knowledge of Maori .■ may: ; have .been .unimpeachable;' told .us the . names meant:in English "Gates;of Heaven" and "Gates of' Hell." "Great Scott," said he; ('you're going to walk to Upper Ilutt! ! You're plucky/..but I: wouldn't be you for i ten pounds. ! -VrThc second of whom wo en- • i .. qnirod the-.'.way:-was . bent our courage still =. higher. ~ "I'll bo "following you in a aay or two, and I'll pick you: up and give you decent"burial!" > TliC iroad to'Riki,.rnns through beautiful and one Icatches, lovely peeps.-' of : a •• stream' typicallvNew - Zealand ''in its beauty. For :a'i:imlo • ortwo beyond ' Riki ( the road winds ataong | .hills. sliorri of .'..-.their'.,:' ,'nativd beauty, ' their.''' seared.: sides '.and , desolate ' ■ blackened tree stumps recalling tho lament ,:N6blerV i :far'. : ;their:'forest raiment ; was,' ' ; From crown' to feet that clothed them royally, , , ..Shielding', their mysteries from, the. gldre:~of. " (lay, '.' /;.vf ■'; V/ : :. Ere,.the. dark;;wob'ds:'wef6 reft' and .torn, away. • About six : miles- from Waikanao; tho road ends; and-tho' track—such a We had been, told at Rikr.that it 'iivas 'kneedeep ■ m -mudj' 6o„wo'' anticipated some fun. . We had-it hoart's content, for it was • a case of'"mild to right of us, mud; to left of us, mud all round us." I fear-bur ;boota will never knpw' a glossy blackness,"a'gaiii. But - the bog .was a- mere oircunistance and q^uitp 1 forgotten ; when . .wo halted to; admira this view;.'-.:Thej'busK'-'is'.-'-most marvellously, beautifulnever oven in Otago's wonderful gorges. have:,lj;seen'.:anything' to.', surpass it. Hugo forest giants' re'ar. th'eir'stately heads ■into the 1 air, .their..more;sombre beauty 're-, lieved by. the ; clustering ;parsonsia, :vi'ith its ...' waxy flowers and . the ;!ethereal - clematis, "nursling' 'of; lights aid aii'.f' which trailed its glittering geiiis among their branches. Tho banks of , the track wero one 'mass of beautiful'jferis,' lhosses, aiid tiriy- weirimamas with their - bright red: young shoots,- .while every- • whore the graceful lycopodium- threw 'its rich . mantlerof green. The .makomako,'the New Zealand wlno berry, was in full bloom,< and • against its dark' conipanions;' its' rosy <flowers • and ~bri^ltV,"leavds/ .with 1 ." the rich /blush" oh' 1 their under, surfaces, wore a delight: to' the' eye. ' Wo also saw the tropical-looking cordylme. : indivisa with-,its . graceful- drooping leaves," , some'jivh'at like '/those -1 of ..the,. cabbage ' tree,; , only'thicker, and?broader. They were used by the Maoris in the,making of garments; -New beauties greet'one at every turn, and long before we. left the bush wo had ■ ex-: hays.ted our complete stock of synonyms for •"beautiful:"-....,' . ■.A - mile-; beyond the .saddlo we were- busy , filling- our, baskets . with 1 spoils, anticipating the;end of the:bush, when a rider suddenly ;- . appearediround.jthe'/odrner.,'; and enquired , whether,: we were -two /runaways. - Wo hastened to reassure him,I but / lie rather . seemed to discredit. us when we told linn v. o. . wercon our way to/Upper Hutt. /Said in-, 1 "If you'll take my you'll go back to where you came from.. .You have tpury>iiilfs of. bush yeV and: then thirteen ; of .road " This certainly staggering, as, according to feelings, wo had already-covered twfhc. At the end of tho bush are two swing • bridges;,.certainly -well named. Tho. second ; onc is at least fifty feeb above-the iivoiy and : I.felfeias-itlloiigh -my,last hour-had come as I swayed 1 tb ancF fro- over • tho -giddy abyss, but ■ I arrived in, safoty at- the 'other end. My shattered nerves were restored half an hour .. later by)Mrs.^Sulliy'aui'.of,-the,sawmill,,,who . - ;was most.hospitable,'and;gave us one of-the best cups.of;tea/ever,brewed.:. . : Reiriyigo'ratedyv.we at five o'clock to cover, thirteen ! miles in time to, catch the; ■ last /train'. ''Visiolis of'terrified parents-and sorrowing /friends '.'"gaXe l a "thrill to our 'faint: . hearts, \yill ' and wings! to* our weary-feet," 'and ; : 'at ( Upper/ :Hutt at nine lo'clock'; . ,; So. .ended ' a';,red-letter ;day • in.- , our "tramping" history.''/ .' To all who are fond of,'walking, and who love the.company of'the trees,', the ilowers, . and • the Ibirds^'sve;'.wotjld «say ' ; 'Go; and •do likewise." .;