By Road to Napier

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 40, 3 March 1937, Page 12

By Road to Napier

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WE TAIHAPE TRIP Rugged Country Full of Interest MRM 0£ Va0PMENT

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Tka sun is streaming down and tke mpxning is brigkfc and clear as wa ueave Taihape on our 112 rnila xun to Napier, A. nip in. the air certadnly, but 'tkat i« oaiy to be expected, as we are many knn.dr'eds of feet above sea-level. However, w.Q will soon be kavikg breakfast at Moaighsnga, and tkat will take away ths cbdlk Soon Taihape is left behind, and tke xoad slipa by. Here tke road branckes to Baeteki and tke Chateau Tongariro, but our way lies to the right, The peaks of the hills aro bright witk tke early sunshine as wo continue, bnt down hera in tke valley tke air is eool. tWithin a few minutes wa slip past Mx. T. Q. Lowry 's station, and into Moawhanga, wkere Logan 'S boarding-kouse and tea-rooxns arp open, and kere we wait for a meal. Moawhanga kas probably ckanged very little since its establisliment. it is still a quiet liftle settlement — principally Of Maoris — and, sitting kere, it is not difficnlt to visualise tne mai! coack arriving kere in tke closing days of tke last century. There was no Taihape tken, and tke settlement 's connection witk tke outside was, by co&eh to Napier. Eagerly awaited twice a week was tke sound of tke wheels grinding over tke xoad, and, as tke coack rolled to a standstill, tke settlers were waiting tkere for tkeir mail, supplies, and, it may ^>e mentioned, tkeir Hawke's Bay Herald, witk its news of *he world. "Tkose were the days wken tlie paper ^vas appreciated," we kear an old-timer say. ''No radios and things like tkat tken. Nol We oertainly were glad to get tke paper and xead wkat was doing, even if it was a few .days old." * By now our breakfast is' ready and we must be getting along, for tkere are inany miles of diScult country. yet to cover before we sigkt Napier. Soon we are on the road* again, runniag past pleasant-looking farms, wkere tke day's work is already well under way. Now we are climbing, and tke eervico car is settling down to its task. The smaller farms are now past, and ihe country is getting more rugged. Erewhon Statton "Tkat'a Erewhon Btation on our rigkt, ' says the driver. "Tke higheBt komestead in tke Nortk Island. Some 3200 feet above sea-level." And a splendid sight tke station is, suriotmded by trees, with the country looking a picture. We think wkat it looks like in the winter, witk tke snow falling thick on tke ground, and tke skeep and cattle witk tkeir coats of wkite. On we climb, tken down to low gear, and tke car starts tke long slope ciown to the Eangitikei river, lying kundreds of feet beiow. Over tke suspension bridge, and we pull up at a farin down in tke valley, exchange tke t'ime of day, pick up and drop some parcels, tken on again, for tke climb out of tke valley, up into tke tu&sock country beyond. Here is a wondotful vista of really rugged country. Beeping out of the morning mist is Ruapeku, queen of the North Island mountains, and Ngauruhoe can be seen wfth its smoko rolling ot of the crater mouth. Here are some of the biggest farming blocks i.tt the North Island, including Ngamatea and Timakanga stations, witk a total acreage of something liko 250,000 acres, stretching over maiiy milfes of country. Tkis is wkere new roadiUg Work is being carried Out, autl motai lias been laid wkere before was only clay. Our driver recounts many a tale of wet days, wken clay tkreateucd.to bog tke car, and ckains were tke order of tke day. Those days are Uow past, and We can ride ou without wondering wketker we will kave to get out and put our skoulders to tke wkeel. On our left, on one of the nearby hille, are to be seen tke remains of au old Maori fort, conjuring up a picture of tke days when all was not so peaceful between Maori and Pakeha. Moro than one traveller in the old days was keld up while riding along tkis track by Maori warriors. Tussock Country. Tke country kere i# all tuaeock. but improvoments are being made, and tke

festility of/tke land is gradually being rais'ed. Muek kas yet to be done, kowever, before tke carrying capacity is inerea&ed to any great degree. It was on a f arm witkin a few miles of the road kere tkat Mr. Walter Devon, tke lucky winner of tke £50,000 Melbourna sweepstake, was workiog wken tke news of kis good fortuno reacked him. We look across in tho direction indicated by tke driver, and hope for simil&r luck. More miles go by, and now we arrive at Timakanga Station to pick up the mail, and kave a welcome cup of tea and a few minutes' talk. Tkis is oue of the Fernie properties wkick is gradually being made increasingly produc tive, Soon after leaving Timakanga tke country begins to cUange again, and we run down deep gorges,, threading our way round narrow sharp bends, witk steep hills, covered witk fern and manuka rising all round. Native trees overkang tke road, and brush tke side of tke car as we go by. Native birds sing in tke busb, and kere and tkere a wild pig is espied, grubbing in the undergrowtk. Here also are to be found deer, altkougk we do not see any •tkis day. Progress is now alow, witk tke pinverful motor of tke car purring away as we pick a cautious way along steep and narrow ways. Now we reack tke Tauriwaraus, and stop on tke razorback to kave a look at the scenery. Down below — many kundreds of feet — tke Tauriwarau stream can be seen on its winding course, witk tke kigk hills rising steeply from its * banks. Tke heat of the day is now approacking, and the air is kot in tke enelosed hills, as the car continues on its way. Taihape is now many miles behind, and we sit back and study tke constantly ekanging scene that unfolds itself on tke road. Splash tkrougk a water course, swing to tke side of tke road to allow; a heavily laden shingle lorry to pass, stop to open a gate, clamber back, tken on again. Down "Gentle Annie.T» Now a long, kard climb, up and up, rigkt to tke sky it seems. Looking back tke road can be seen, a narrow ribbon winding its way through bushclad slopes, and "We go down 'Gentle Annie' wken we get to tke top," says tke driver. Tkis is tke hiil we've keard of before, wkere tke passengers on tke coaches kad to get out and walk, go tkat tke korses could struggle their way to tke top. To-day, of . course, tke cars climb tkis famous stretch without kaviug to recourse to suek methods. Down> and round the hiil

slope we go. Tkere rigkt below we see tke Kuripapa'nga valley — an oasis in this land of scrub and busk— witk tke Ngaruroro river flowing tkrougk it. At last we reack tke bottom of "GentJe Annie," after safely negotiating "Kelly 's Mistake," and run past tke site of the old coacking stabfcs, wkere the koxees were ckanged. On to tke Kuripapanga bridge, wkere we" stop in the centre to open tke rabbit gate, and now we are in Hawke's Bay county. Rangitikei county is left behind, and in a couple of minutes we draw up at tke Kuripapanga homestead, wkere tke Old kotel uSed to be, to have some tea and eakef!. Tkis is truly a lovely spot, and was a favourite plaee for a holiday in tke days wken tke hotel used to be in existence. -Now it is onlv a halt on tke way for travellers. Now tke road becomes wor.se — for tkis is Hawke's Bay county— and we progress at slow Speed to avoid breaking springs. We are climbing steadily on and up to tke "Blow-hafd," and, altkougk to-day tkere is little wind, tke bare hills tell their tale of tke force tkat the gale can reack up kere. Tkis country is pi'actically all manuka scrub and lies akimmering in tke keat. Along kere are some cufious rock skapes caus* ed by tke wind, called "Egypt," one of the form&tions bearing a distinet resemblance to tke famous Sphinx of tke Nile. At tke top of tke "Blow-kard" tke car stops to give tke pn&3engers a view of Hawke's Bay. Looking out across tke miles of country spread out. beneath, Cape Kidnappers and the sea can be seen, and an expanse of rolling plain, broken by hills. The country looks parched and dry from np here, witk green patckes kere and tkere wkere lueerne and otker crops are growing. Down towards tke lower levels wm go, and soon we are passing Glenross, Waiwhare and Mangawhare Stations, j and we realise tkat we are now in typi* cal Hawke's Bay country. The scrub has given wav to pastures, dotted hero and there witk willows and poplars The road now is good, so our speed b»creases and we make rapid progress, tkrougk Crownthorpe and Sherenden, Omahu, Fernhill, then Hastings. Within

a few minutes more we are in Napier, our journey ended, and we say "Goodbye" and make for home, after an interesting trip across some of tke most rugged and picturesquft country in tke Nortk Island. , J