MOUNT MATTHEWS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 6

MOUNT MATTHEWS

OUR WILD CITY HINTERLAND. TALE OF A WEEK-END.CLIMB.: : ~ - : . (Bt No. 15.) '';:i: ; If you take a stroll,along the Terrace, and gaze across the Harbour towards Day's Bay on a fine day you ,will probably notice a high mountain range clothed with bush; that stretches along the skyline, north,and south.■■'■-.:' Probably. you have heard in : a casual way that this, range, is portion of . the Kimutakas, and you .'may. have, noticed in. winter, on a.clear frosty morn.-'the highest portions. covered with snow; - Beyond. tnis you neyer trouble :to find what this country' is like, and an all; probability, you are not aware that some of the finest and/roughest of scenery is to be found at the back of the Bay. The highest peak one can see, is lionnt Matthews (3079/ feet), with Papatahe, Tapokopoho, Kotumu, Waimarara,' of lesser heights, stretching along, in the blue haze-to-the' north and south.,. The numerovis landslips discernible on this side of the range run almost into: the■ Orongorongo 'Stream, which; empties itself .close to the western capo of Palliser Bay. If you decide to find out something about "this country; and determine to climb the highest ridge, a summer week-end l will'be a moat suitable opportunity to carry out your; plans.

Old Maori. Battle Grounds.; Catching the Duchess at,,1.15 p.m. on Saturday you are put ashore at Muratai at 2 -p.m;,. and. a good half-hour's - walk brings you down to the: foot of Gollan's Valley;hill..- Then, you .proceed :up the. rise and down the other side to thb iron gate on the.left, across the stream' and flat, through the scrub' and on' to Grace's' track, and,by. 3 o'clock you have topped the rise overlooking'the Wainni. ' 'A little later, : ., descending ;.the ..ridge throughGrace's homestead, .across the Wainu.i by the.-old suspension bridge, you pick up the-main road and follow it as-far. as. it. goes. Arriving at the present' end of ;the road you ford the Wainui; and follow the ihorse track down this fertile valley, around the spur to .'the left, and the last stretch of-tho Wainui appears in sight. Passing .through .a couple, of gates' (which, by the way, you should 'always close), Lee's dairy is left behind.. You. ford the river more,. swing to your right,; climb .-; the. small rise, ■ and—hey;, presto!—there is.the rolling blue, Strait spread out.in.full view. ' ■ Away. south through' the haze ; the ■ snowclad Kaikouras, stretching, beyond.Cape Campbell, 'can ; be seen. To the east a steamer on- the "deep sea track, a-rollin' and a-swingin' ; .to the Horn." To the west; one or the "mosquito fleet" is in-, ward bound,, ano\at your very feet, so to speak,, the ;southern •■'swell..is'.' rolling.in" with an immensity- and steadiness wnich is majesty-r-thegreat and sombre majesty .of the sea,",- ■ '-''-'i .-'■ .-■ '~. /.' •.-. Keeping to the. track, • the Orongorongo Stream shortly, appears, and being, low is, easily forded,, but.meet„ the Orongorongo.' after-■ a shower'; of. rain and. you .will find it., one. of the most lapid. and • dangerous -mountain torrents.' in- New Zealand. 'The Orongorongo in the. past has been the.Boene of several inter-tribal fights, and :'.. "emblems : of a race thafs speeding onwards" are occasionally to be found on the sandy flat overlooking the stream's mouth. But to-day the Orongorongo is-peaceful.'. : The' new station house, homestead,, and .woblsheds that have, been- erected, of late gives the flat an industrial'and bright' appearance/ ; .

Perilous Palliseiv; ';•■ ; 'L ; .-;':M ;i '■ ' By '6 p.m.' Cape Turakaie, :the western cape of Palliser Bay, is reached)/and'-you are:able .to get your .'first' glimpse of .the bay -.that is infamous for -its shipwrecks. 'The/lighthouse is not to bo'seen, as it lies on the eastern side of the cape.. Swing round; and. look to-the, west.:/.Sinclair Head, :Island ; Bay, and Baring h Head stand out- prominently,inthe glowing,gold : of the evening's sun. '■ Capo Turakaie. is of interest;. one can easily see the coastline: that was raised'up.by-the '44'0r'55 earth- . quake. Leaving the: cape, the track runs along theedge. of the ridge, .which is .clear of bush, down the bay, and at 7 p.m.; in the cool of the evening you have a spell at the Waimarara Stream. ■'.';■'•■-

~ Close, to' this' stream" lies the remains of the ship StUVinoent, that was wrecked in the early 'seventies,' all hands, except the chief 'officer,' being'' drowned. The flax 6wamp near by was the burial place of 'the crew.- - In . the early (days,' before' thV'Featherstbn-Upper-'Hutt Road- was. ; through; 'all'stoclf from'the-'-Wairarapa for Wellington-was brought'round by this, coast --The Maoris-who 'lived at .-the Orbngorongo had an : accommodation hut in, the karaka, trees overlooking the Wai-' .marara.'•'The"bush on,the Palliser'side of ithe.ridge has lately 'been felled for a' couple of .miles from, the! stream; 'and Wellington, will ; shortly see great:volumes., of smoke lifting and looming: citywards., :, Leaving the Waimarara,.. the'track now-; becomes'somewhat broken, 'and several' wash-outs, shoots of boulders, stones; and shingle, have to be negotiated in the semidarkness.' Safely over this little lot,:,you shortly, reach 'the -caves near, the 'Muka-;. mukaiti." The' boundary fence' is i. soon reached, the ' Mukaoiukaiti'crossed, and the last stage of. the night's tramp to' the Mukamuka entered, upon'.-' Here' we arrive at 8.30 p.m.r and, camping for tho night .in the break in the hills, the fire is. soon blazing, the ,billy boils,. cocoa and a good meal,. pile, up the logs ;for the night; and make the best of a fired man's sleep.:■;•■'. •■•' '','.'' ''"■'' ■' '■ ■ ""'. "'. ."Joe/'my'mate, is kicking the fire together: in, the early morn,- and' by; 5.30 on' Sunday morning. breakfast ; is■-■.■'over,-' swags' packed, and- left;.behind.' I ,' Following the Mukamuka up-stream,'by 6: a;ni.: you arrive at: the.' foot of Mt. • Matthews,' ready for .'the. climb: ■ ~: ' .

Scaling the Heights.: , The first portion : of' the climb—i.e., rising out of stream .on to. plateau, thence'up to the bush line—is the hardest. Once on the main;ridge.you oheck your direction by compass N. and scramble .and climb upwards.'.' .The first few hundred feet is rather hard going, owing to the thick-undergrowth,; but later, it thins out.and tkegoing is not so difficult: :Tke' ridge-is well denned:by means of blaze's,' old and now; and,, with sundry spells'/you gradually. rise '.higher. ■■' Little;: however, can be: seen- at' this stage; as the bush, being thick, presents no outlook till" you are within some 500 feet of the top. Then you / come .on'), to, 'a' ■ clearing, aud pause, for your first solid gaze out on tho little hustling world, below' and beyond. From- that point the ridge: becomes smaller .and smaller, .and, in places,' you have to go across theface; of, landslips in order to gain the highori ridge which is now a "i-azorback"-—on.eachiside left and right of it,a sheerfall of some' hundreds of feet ..below.. Still climbing-and crawling through small'bush and: undergrowth,' our - goal at length appears -in sight, and, after a), two hours' climb from the bottom (with spells), we. are..'.on' the., summit:of Mt.''Matthews.:

The bush has-been'cleared- for; a. .few yards all -round: the. trig peg, and,, amongst: the stones: planted -alongside' the peg, is a tin. containing a paper, with the names .of:.the successful climbers.' It is interesting to note that several ladies' names appear. The, view.'which oneachieves from the top is worth the climb. Away, to .the ';cast. lie '. : the ■■■ HaurahgiMountains, running up the East Coast from . Cape Palliser . towards' Martin-, borough/ .At the bay .itself, everything looks nice and calm, Waetarangi and. ; Whangamona'.Stations,' the -lower Wairara'pa Valley, and Lake, with, the- Enamahunga River . running: into :Lako-Onbke are easily.picked out. : . -

Looking; Down from the Summit, .Looking down, on the' Lake Perry -Hotel at the mouth of Onoke;one recalls the early' droving' days, and how,, when, the N.W.'wind' blow, so'heavily, the drovers, could not get their stock- to-face-.'the beach,'.but had■:to. wait "for favourable weather. days' the.."Ferry" "was noted for- its, grog, and- it was only the hardest'drovers and bushmen who'could stand' up to ■ it.- Following' the '■' Palliser' beach along, those two black specks which' one can,just discern connotes all that remains'of: the wrecked American barque Addenda: 1 ' The Wharepapa and Whare. kaiihan Stations, with' their red roofs,.are seen below you; a little to the.W. and E. lies Pouuui Lake and the Western Road to Featherstqn.' To the N. runs,the main range of tho'Rimutakas, covered in bush, but Papatahi, some four miles away, shuts' out all- view in that direction.' Swinging round" to the '■ west, you can follow tho Hutt Valley down to. Pe'tone. beach and along'the'harbour. The 'country between Queen's Wharf and Makara' appears to bo'very' small, but one is able to recognise' various ships and shipping. in

the harbour, the entrance at Pencarrow; Lyall Bay, Evans Bay, Island Bay, Sinclair Head, Tcrawhiti,' liana,. and Kapiti, the South Island,-.beyond the/Brothers to Stephen.. Island,--thence south to the Kaikouras,. beyond Capo Campbell—all these can bo seen in this vast panorama, whilst in your immediate vicinity is ridge upon ridge covered with bush, with steep faces and landslips. ..-:.■. A light meal having been disposed of, tho return journey is made, and after'an, hour's dropping down through the bu6h' tho bottom, is reached. Picking up our swags, we start off for Muratai. There is perhaps a little interlude of rest:at the Mukaniukaiti, to look at the. bld.Mapri. ovens and'see if. the'last blow has not unearthed some relics. Then we push on to the Orongorongo.Wainui, and Muratai, in time to catch the 8.30 p.m. boat for-the city. So .ends.a delightful week-end tramp to a mountain which takes its name from the winner of. an interesting race to its summit, between two residents of - the Lower Wairarapa Valley in the early days. The winner .was Mr. C.: Matthews, of Waiorongomai. '... -