DOWN TURAKINA VALLEY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 591, 20 August 1909, Page 8

DOWN TURAKINA VALLEY.

" While I, was a long: v."ay 'down the. ,Tura-kina-lliver (writes, our travelling correspond- , 6nt)" I'.saw in tho distance some high sugarloaf hills, and was told they were on "Braemore, " . the property of Mr. • Henry Radficld, ofOtaihanga. Oil my, last visit to this district it was owned by Mr. -Tom Holden. He is now "somewhere in tho' Waikato." ' Bracliiorp is a nice sheep station' on very good grazing country. Tho homestead is-. on a kneb! overlooking tho river; and . is. almost hidden in trees. Tlicro is a little > ploughable "land, on which I: noticed tho remains of. a .'rape; crop. Tho next placo going \ip river is tho: old, Otairi station, which,-for so many years, was owned by the lato. Mr* John' Du- ■ cdn,*; arid in more recent times by his sons, Messrs.-'.Wi and T., Duncan.- Tho southern . portion of thej. run, rind somo two thousand .acres over the Turakina, have been acquired by; Messrs. Morton Bros. 'A cpmpifit-looking dwelling has built near the old homestead. This is tho residonco of Mr. Archie Morton. It is also a post oflico and a telephone bureau, and has been named "Otiwliiti.',''. It is very handy, for the,settlers, in tho district, as it keeps them ~in close, touch ,with Hunterville. Mr. A.; Morton'! was unfprfjinatelyj away in the hospital when - I ftalloß, so 1= went on and soon, met :■ ton,, sen.,' father of the: boys.V. ''(I;;supp6so -W : sons are boys to their parents,';pp. matter. - how' ; old they are.) It'was four'fears since-, we had-met, at Brandoti.Eall ;\.bilt< ■ k'riew mo again. Many, years agoyhe was. : sheep-farming in Queensland. Afterwards ho camo to New Zealand, and had -land at ' Waverley for some time. Mr. and Mrs. Morton 1 and. Mr. \V. Morton reside, ih\ii.ncafc cottage hot far from tho old Otairi wool-shed. While lunch was getting ,we had a ■ look-: over the old station -buildings..They, cover an immenso area, and, are - very com.plete.i "> There . is ' accommodatioh : for > four thousand sheep under cover, and all sheep . work could be done inside'. Mr. Morton ,told me they aro delighted with their now homo. ,They_ are astonished at the marked absenco . of windy weather at'Otairi./ ,' ' .