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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2662, 6 January 1916, Page 7

The lightliouse-keeper at Waipapapa, near Fortrose, who was visited \v several Gore residents during the holidays, tells tho story 'if an interesting visitor ho entertained during eight months until a short time ago (says the Mataura "Ensign").- Regularly each evening a seal climbed over the rocks and through the tussocks and vegetation to the foot of the lighthouse, a distance of some 200 yards, and there spent the night. Tho animal was quite tame and was a source of much interest to the children. Occasionally he would oversleep himself unti' midday, and oil waking would yawn prodigiously, note which way the tidal current was setting, and thereafter- strike straight out to sea. Tho .boilers of tho ill-starred Tararua, which struck this reef over .30 years ago, are still visible at low water. A largo sum of ■ money (in silver) wont down with tho ship aud \a considerable sum was expended in trying to locate the treasure, but without result. Tlie cemetery, in which about 100 bodies wero, interred, lies about a mile and a half from the lighthouse and presents a thoroughly neglected appearance. Mr. A. M'Lean, headmaster of the Alexandra (Central Ot-ago) School, who is at present a visitor to AYcllington. states that the present'is tho best fruit season ever experienced in the district. It must not bo inferred from this that they have had a plenitude of rain, for a-? a matter of fact the rain guage (kept by Mr. M'Lean) only registered 992 points for T.hc whole year. Still, with tho gradual growth of the irrigated areas plus tlio experience fruitgrowers are attaining, tho results havo been highly satisfactory. Alexandria, as_ well as other Central Otago townships, are just now in a transition stage. A few yeais ago they lived on the gold-dredging industry, and as this pursuit for gold lias waned with the decreasing returns, fruit-growing has come on, and annually the area under irrigation for that • puroose is being increased. There are still a few private diedges opera ting on the Molyneux, and still plenty of gold in the river bed if it could only bo secured, but a more permanent and steadier return lies in iiie cultivation o_i' those fruits which flourish m well in the driest part of Jfow Zealand. '