PAEROA EXCURSION

Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1920, Page 4

PAEROA EXCURSION

A GLORIOUS EXPERIENCE (Ry a Passenger).

Our party of eleven excursionists comprising four ladies and seven gentlemen, sailed from Hokitika by the s.s. Paeroa at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, the 20th inst. A large number of townspeople assembled to witness tlie steamer’s departure to bid adieu to their friends.

The day was brilliantly fine, and this perfection of weather was maintained throughout the whole trip with the exception of one half-day in Milford Sound when we had a heavy downpour, which, however, hut enhanced the wild beauty of the surrounding peaks, each waterfall swelling to immense volumes, and mountain torrents on every side raced wildly down precipitous cliffs.' The view from the ship as we hugged the coast speeding south was truly magnificent; tree-clad hills border the coast with rugged snow-capped mountain tops for a background for hundreds of miles. High above the rest towered Mt Cook,) dividing the lofty clouds, colossal, aweinspiring, grand. Accustomed as the West Coasters are to scenes of mountain grandeur, this scene viewed from the ship under a cloudless sky, seemed to surpass them all. We reached Milford Sound at 2 p.m. One feels the impotence of words to describe its majestic splendours of mountain, of cataract, and glacier. The .... cirlp vise sheer from the

waters edge like iron walls, culminating in peaks 5000 feet higli. On our left as wo enter the sound, is the long stern-looking glacier of Mt Pembroke. On the right abruptly rises Mitre Peak to a height of nearly 6000 feet, distinct in its beauty, without rival in its sharp ascent. Further on is the beautiful Bowen Falls and not far from the foot the comfortable dwelling place of Mrs Sutherland. The sombre green of the hills is everywhere relieved by the profusion of flowering rata, right down to the edge of the water which is almost as deep below as the hills are high above.

One is thrilled with its unspeakable glory. It is nature’s last word, all satisfying, all perfection. That evening, ‘carrying presents of food from the ship, we paid a visit to Mrs Sutherland who with her husband -—recently deceased —has lived in this ,sublime but lonely spot for 28 years. At her home our western party met with a party of excursionists who had completed the To Anau-Milford Sound trip. They were loud in their praises of the track scenery, but their especial bete-noir was the sandflies, sleeping as

they were at the appropriately named “Sand-Flv Point.” From this pest we were comparatively free at night since we slept on the boat, * A small hunting party rose at 4 a.m. next morning and encountered up the Cleddan river a small herd of wild cattle who madly stampeded at our .approach. A well aimed shot brought down a. young heifer, whereat a fierce looking bull stayed his headlong flight and stood guard over the fallen member of his herd, eyeing us in a manner plainly hostile. Only after much firing of our rifles did we succeed in driving him off, when we cut up the “bag”- and carried it to the boats. .

Bird life is very abundant in the sound. Among the species represented were the N.Z. native hen, the Weka, the pigeon, grey and paradise ducks, shags, redbills, and swan. On shore opposite our boat wo espied a penguin perched upon a rock. Two of the crew pulled otr in a boat and presently returned with him—a king.fenguin—for our closer inspection, the while he screamed lustily with a cry not unlike the cry of a child. After being photographed ho was given his freedom. We saw more penguins both here and latei on in George Sound. About 8 a.m. it rained heavily, despite which several of our party mado fishing trips on the Sound, including the four ladies who ventured forth in a small boat determined to be “in it.” Though well drenched, the waves splashing over the boat, they succeeded in hooking several fish, and departed homeward triumphant. Ip the afternoon the weather suddenly cleared; tho sun shone forth brightly, and all nature was astir. Some of us went forth to photograph the now gigantic Bowen Falls which furnished a magnificent spectacle after tho heavy down-

pour. Others went afishing and were very successful. One of the remar able things about the Sound is the great variety of fish found in any one spot. We took off the hooks terekihi, rnoki trumpeter, blue cod and red cod, kelp, gurnet, crayfish, red coated “Soldiers, and the horny Maori Chief, this latter variety most annoyingly, persisting m getting on to the hooks while we were stirred with the larger ambition of drawing in weighty blue _ cod and

trumpeter. Friday morning, 23rd, at 4.30, "e somewhat regretfully steamed out from this delightful spot where nature has lavishly bestowed her splendours, and at 8.30 ri.m. saw vis entering Bligh Sound whose fern and tree clad hills evoked expressions of admiration and v elig 1 from' everyone. Our itinerary of travel did riot permit of our anchoring here, hut we steamed to the head of the ; Sound and then turned back and made I for the better known George Sound which we reached in about an hour s I run. The distinctive feature of this

Sound is the little islands of rare beauty dotted ill ere and there covered with bush and bloom to the water’s edge. We sailed round one near the head of the lake, and nearby we raised a school of huge blackfish, about twenty in number. A couple of rifle-shots spouting the water nearby sent them careering in mighty leaps at a tremendous pace around the shores. We anchored m a little unnamed bay close" to a sancl beach fringed with the beautiful kowhai ' tree. A. ramble inland showed, that our native birds were very plentiful. We saw the weka, tomtit, fantail, and bush

robin, while redbills, paradise ducks, and a few swan frequented the water s edge. But this Sound’s especial claim to distinction was yet to bo discovered. We knew by repute of the crayfish beds of George Sound, but we had not altogether given full credence to the stones we had heard and were unprepared for the great hordes which must hero cover the ocean bottom. Captain Earl went to considerable trouble to anchor the ship in the most favored spot and Ins efforts were adequately rewarded by ’ the hauls we made. The nets and baskets are lowered from the ship s side and no sooner do they touch the bottom than into them scrambled and crawled eager hungry" crayfish and upon pulling up, the .baskets would contain anything

up to a dozen or fifteen fish. It is hard work as well as great fun hauling up. Once let the rope slacken ever so little and you may lie sure some of them will hack out over the edge of the net into the water. We worked thus for several hours until we had consigned to the deck seven or eight hundred crayfish. Wo spent nearly two days laying about in the Sound, fishing and rowing. It is all pure virgin country thus far untouched by the spoiler’s hand We rowed up a creek which has its outlet in the Sound. It is probably the. most beautiful in New Zealand, outviemg in its wild, rare beauty even the wellknown Mahinapua, and at high tide is navigable for considerably more than a

mile. .. , At 8.30 p.m. on the 24th, we sailed for Jackson’s Bay which was reached after a twelve hours’ run. Here was once a large immigrant settlement, hut little remains now, and the quick growth of hush and fern has obliterated all hut the remains of the pier, cattle stocks and a chimney stack. A fence and gravestone records one of the early deaths on the West Coast, a young man

from the schooner Ada, as early as 1862. We caught a few fish here, and then ran close into Open Bay Islands at 5 a.m., where we snared groper, cod mid smaller fish, a couple of loathsome octopus, and a small shark. At 9.30 a.in. we finally departed for Hokitika, and drew up alongside the wharf in the early hours of Tuesday morning, after a week’s perfect hoilday. The passengers are greatly indebted to Mr and Mrs Chapman of Ross for organising the trip, upon whom fe a the- work and worry preceding the steamer’s departure. This narrative, hastily written as it is would be very incomplete without, mentioning the many voluntary kindnesses rendered to our party by Captain'

Earl, who was unfailing in uniform courtesy and consideration to everyone. He never spared liimself to add to the-enjoyment of the trip, or to secure the safety of his passengers, and many perfect little outings, and as well as the success of the whole trip, were the result of liis suggestions and assistance. The passengers desire to here record their appreciation and thanks for bis many kindnesses'; also to Mr Aitchison, chief engineer, and members of the crew, who so often assisted "ith counsel and practical help: Nor must one omit to mention the ship’s cook, hardest worked of all, and despite his ; 70 years of age, 58 years of which were spent at sea, tho most cheerful of all on ; board, and whose cooking was a veritable delight. I will conclude this short . account by advising all lovers of healthy . sport and delightful panorama to undertake at their first opportunity what is undoubtedly the finest trip in! the world.