UNFREQUENTED PATHS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 701, 29 December 1909, Page 9

UNFREQUENTED PATHS

. + A SUMMER TRAMP OF 300 MILES. THE STRATFORD.ONGARUIIE ROAD. There, are many ways of enjoying a holiday. Otto of the best, and perhaps tho least popular, is n walking tour away from the haunts of men, 'far removed fiom, tho olang ol tramqar gongs ftnu tooting motor-oars. Such a tour has just been comploted by Mr. T. W. Brottn, of tho Industries and Commerce Deportment, a young man who takes' a special delight in tramping a)ono over unfro- i Qtied'ed paths,'saturating himself in the odonr of the,bush and soaring to dizzy ■heights by way of'variety. On the present occasion, Mr. Brown decided to tramp from New Plymouth to Te Kuiti, and pack to Stratford by way of the Ongaruhc-IVhangamomona Road. Leaving Now Plymouth, on December 12, ho made his way via ' Waitftra and Mount Messenger tn Tongaporufu, where he broko off to vis.it the Mokau Coal Company's property up'tho Mokau 'River. Mr* Brown states' that the Government has taken a wise step in creating tho river banks a tonery preserve, as he i considers* it the most beautiful of all New Zealand rivers, not even excepting ttai Watiganui. Tho Tiver, which is narrow and deep, winds fiid zig-zags wondori fully- between hills, clad in virgin bush' in ;ts prime. For twenty-two miles the 1 river is navigable by small steamers, but , a canoo can easily make its Way another 1 twenty or thirty miles. FloWer-pot Rock, 'At the mouth of the river ho inspected tho famour Flowor-pot Rock, in shape exactly like a big capstan. Curiously enough, Maori lore telis that it was to this rock that the great canoo Tainui W.as moored Uhen she made tho mouth lof ihc Mokau. Motutawa Maud, nearby, j which was also visited, is knbwil, as 1 tho scone of a famous '-fight-''between the Wnikato and Mania-' poto Tribes. From Mok'iu, Mr. Drown proceeded along the coast, then inland ,to Mahoenui via Awakino. On Mr. Black's property at Mahoenui the'traveller was slidwn some beautiful'limestone caves containing' a , pretty .display of Stalactites and stalagmites.' Further oil he penetrated tho beautiful ilangaotnki Gorge, in whioh the traqk lies under overhanging limestone cliffs and ttnvorses a bridge across the Mokau River. Further on n diversion, ,was made to inilpect tho Wairoro Falls," a magnificent cascade, with a drop of between 60ft. and 70ft. Then regaining the main road, Mr. Brown pursued the even' tenor of Ms way;on to Te Kuiti, llangltiki, aud Iho Waitomo Caves. On tho return journey Mr. B:ovm travelled along tho Ongaruhe Roal to'Ohura.iand thence on to Tatu. Two miles beyond the latter place tho'road dwindles to. a 4ft. bridlo trick; which conducts' one through Iho majestic Tararakau Gorge, H miles 1 in I length,, and probably the most beautiful i gorgfl ,in,';he North Island/if not in the Dominion-. When Mr. Brown parsed througtij 'ttio brilliant flamo of the rata blossom lent a dash of coldur to Iho verdure of bush aud fern. Nd ono could help being impressed with the solemn grandeur of tho scene. There was 'no sound save the' Splash of tho stream, tho tinkle of the bell-bird,! the hoarse cry df tho kaka—all nature seemed uuder a spell that compelled an insistence on silence'. > Not a solitary. soul was met for tho whole-"of thft,H miles of Ilia ,gi«at cleft 'At Mangagapa-'' (65 miles front; Stratford) tho road Tesumos its normal (width, 'taking in tho big rise at 'JJajhora, from which a glorious view can be obtained -of Mounts, Egmdnt, Ruapehii, Tongariro, 'Nganiahoo, the last- • named' belching out great volumes of alternating f wifh shoots of glisfeuing while steam. ' ' Bad Roads, , ~ "■ ■ -)\ Whangamomona, a most picturesque littlo bush- township is just on ahead,', a' bit. So., bad, are Hie .roads'' in this districtjj that Iho 'teams"" ,can , only 1 * be"* l ' u.sed for four or five months in tho year—, for tho rest of the year King Mud rules despotically. Only a fow weeks ago a team had to 'oo dug out of a soft patch on the To Kuiti Road—tho rejourcos of tfio settlors in this district in reclaiming team's from tho mild should bo assessed highly as against what ii termed tho unearned incr6ment. Soven miles on from Whangainomohn, Mr. Brown mot the advance-gang engaged in tho construction of the Stratford-Ongaruho. railway. A ballast train is now running to within twolvo miles of Whangamomona, at which point a long tunnel is being pierced. At T. 30 p.m. on December 22, tho walker arrived at Stratford, having gdt over 100 miles.in tho previous threo days.. From .Stratford he went on to the Dawson Falls 'accommodation huts, and with the aid'of a guide ascended Mt. Egmont. Ho was 'Only tho third who had Climbed the "Lighthouse of Taranaki" from the Falls sido this season. It is yet rather early, as thoy had to negotiato from 1500 to 2000 ft. of snow. Tho climb from the house to'tho top occupied four and a half hours'. On'onco moro taking tho load, Mr. Brown dropped in nt Kaponga, nnd inspected Major Von Tompsky's monumont at To Ngutu-o-te-Mnuu, aud from f>'iore tramped ,on to Norbanby by way of Okiama, where a 300-miles'. walk, was completed on Christmas Eve in twelve' days, Mr. Brown, who, is enthusiastic on his form of recreation, is of opinion thnt walking tourq should bo more popular. What with motor-car and electric tromß people are forgetting' tho use . Of their legs, and complain if thoy are called upon to walk half-a-mila Or Joss. Such' a walk as ho lias done ho would not recommend to those ."soft off. the streets." Shorter walks should at first, be takon, Until somo sort of condition is acquired, y/hen a ttictch from'2s to 30 miles a day bofcumes a pleasure. .