MOUNT TUHUA.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1928, Page 8

MOUNT TUHUA.

3,688 FEET AIT- , E SEA LEVEL. (By Alpine). Mention the name and some local people will a sic where it it. Ask'others who hare climbed to the crest what it is like and most likely the answer will be: “Yes it is a very nice climb, one gets such a good view of the surrounding country. You can see Hokitika and Kumara, and a good view of the fcjioiithern Alps.,” This is about all one hears from most of those who nave accomplished the trip. I shall endeavour to write you a little more than this about it.

Easter 1928 was approaching and a friend had, written that he would like to come over to Hokitika for the holidays and see some more of the beauties of tnis wonderful part of New Zealand; VVe had traversed a.good deal of country by foot and cycle during the said friend’s sojourn here a couple of years •go. The suggestion of the ascent of Alt Tahua met with a ready approval. We had tried before and were doomed m disappointment as clouds descended m us at about 3,000 feet level and like Napoleon we turned about and came home,' and promised to try again. So it happened, that; as prearranged the night before, at 6.15 a.m. on Easter Monday, 1 rang the exchange, was greeted with a cheery good morning by the attendant, and as I instructed, he connected thfr line <vith two other subscribers in turn. The first ring brought a friendly answer to^ say the person had' been up nearly half an hour and was nearly ready. 1 felt rebuked. The next ring; brought quite a different tale and I felt compensated. At least, I was not last up. 1 Explained that the conditions were most promising for a tine day dear of clouds. My friend and I then had breakfast; made up a few- necessities,, and’got our car out (no I’m sorry, it was a borrowed car, lent by a generous friend) and called for the two ladies of the party. They were not quite ready’ but were dressed in proper Alpine style, breeches, stockings and all. In one case the stockings were of deckled Scottish pattern. We soon picked rq» the fifth person of the party and sped away inland-,"and after about an hour’s journey through the bush lands we arrived at Lake Kanieri, turned to the left at the Hotel, skirted the laloe for a couple of miles,' stopped the car at a- convenient spot close to the sign showing'the way to the alpine track, and prepared lor the tramp. My friends were by this ' time very oen and anxious to be'off. We had light refreshment and 'then I did a ittle shobhing to the boots I .’ One ol the gents elected to have the- nails 1 riven in his boots without talcing thfem of. This''created a 1 good deal of ianiiicement; especially as a heavyfile •vaS’ used for a hamiher. ‘ Now we' are ' iff from the lakeside, each with a small kindle strapped to the shoulders made 'ap of eatables etc. and coats.' It might be as well to mention here that the surface of Lake-Kanieri is 424 feet above sea. level and the deepest part of the lake is 646 feet deep.

We trail up the creek bed a couple of hundred yards to avoid the moisture on a plot of grass., cross to the right and are soon on the track in the virgin bush. The larger trees are most.;/ r'imu, inatai and ka.mai, with a few kahikatea, with a heavy, undergrowth of shrubs, supplejacks and ferns. The ferns hang over -the track, and those that obstruct the way' are cut away This also removes any moisture that may be hanging to the vegetation, although the way was comparatively dry when one remembers that rain fell not 24 hours hack. After half a mile of gradual slope the track takes a decided upward grade which holds good for about 2,500 feet above sea level. A couple of obstructions in the form .of fallen trees are safely passed over and then the'going is good. About 500 feet above the lake there is a look-out where a, fine view of he northern end of the lake is obtained, and it is a beautiful sight this morning, not a ripple, except where a speed boat is leaving a trail of troubled water astern. A short spell here, and then on upward and at a corner of the track we are misled by a subsidiary path and are soon \in the maze of undergrowth. The others are willing, so I pushed on hoping to cross the track again soon. It -was some way before it was found again after encountering a stiff climb up a small rocky face. My companions fortunately enjoyed this. The vegetation has altered now in some respects. 1 hero are now totaras, kawhaka and rat as included hut no Kaliikitea, this tree being fond of the lew moist lands. We now reach the slip which can he Keen from Hokitika, We have a long spelfl here and enjoy the scene below meanwhile. After rolling some loose boulders over the edge to watch the effect as they howl at great speed downwards and eventually break into many fragments we trudge ofF again for hah an hour then sit down to have a demand a few mouthfuls to eat. The going has been much steeper since leaving the si ip. Away we go again and later on reach a peak and then descend about 400 feet, pass along a. ridge and rise again, and'aro seen out of the bush into scrub and flax peculiar to the elevation. A halt is called and lunch is brought forth and enjoyed with great relish. T get rather a. shock here when the ladies report that the tea is almost gone, for as far as T know there is no water to, he had on the way. We had left some jusfrnte at the lake. Off again and are soon free of the scrub to get excellent views of the lowlands and

the lake and bills. Mt. Graham across the lake we can now see over and know that we are now above the 3000 ft mark. The apparent top is next reached and a walk of fairly easy going brings us to the last climb, a pretty , stiff ono, 400 ft, and our goal is readied, the trig station laid by surveyors to map the country, and no better spot tlmm this could there be for that purpose, for the view is universal.

We make ourselves comfortable on ••the grass, and under a clear sky, while the sun is not over hot, and take in the view and pick up various landmarks from memory, and by the aid of a sketched plan. Away to the north are the Paparoa Mountains, the tops enveloped in clouds, hut one could hardly imagine while sitting here in glorious clear sunlight that at the back of those ranges, Westport was having a cold, miserable, showery day, for such was the case according to the • press reports next day. Greymouth district was hidden by. a slight blue haze. Kumara and Dillmanstown were plainly discern able to the naked eyes (wo had ho glass with us), Lake Mud gee and the dams constructed for gold mining purposes in the early days show clear amongst the forest below. The Teramakau river winds across in its journey to the sea, and right below us seemingly only a stone-throw is the Arahura on a similar errand. To the north-west in the distance is Mt. French and Bruce. . Closer is Mt. Turiwhate, a hit higher elevation than ourselves, and Island Hill, 2UOoft, dwarfed below us across the Arahura river. Now. can be seen the Big Wainihiuihi stream running into the Teramakau river nearly eastward, while the Little Wainihinihi is running opposite and .towards us, while the Kaiwhaka stream running about northwest and all from the same source on the McArthur Range and across am elevated bush <4ad plain known to geologists as the Wainihinihi peneplain. '

Through the gap between Mt. Tnriwhate and McArthur Range, Mt. Alexander on the northern side of the Teramakau, river at Aicken’s, on the Otira line, is plainly seen. More to the 'east-is Mb. v ,Kerr close at hand and behind this Mbs. Griffin and Tara Tama, the latter about 6,000 ft high. Then further, east is Mt. Armstrong hiding. Mt. Rolleston. Then Arts. Campbell, Rosamund, Harmon and Browning all in the Southern Alpine chain and over 6,000 ft in height. There is onlv a little snow in the gulches at bins time of the year. Nearer are Alts. Uaillcott, Newton and Brown. The J.ntter peak, 4,179 ft, is closest to- us and we hear later of a party being up there the same day. Now to the south are the Kokatahi and Tonroha Valleys with ranges between them and Alts Tyndall, Giles, Keddell, Fitzgerald, and Commodore rising above the 6,000 feet mark behind them. The Hokitika Valley is hidden hut a little west of south. We are looking right up the Whitcombe Valle,v tc the pass of that .name over which Whitcombe came with a .mate, •one, Lou per, a Swiss, about 1863. Whitcombe was later drowned crossingthe Teramakau, river going north. On the left of the valley is Meta Ridge, and on the right of the pass is Mt. Whitcombe, over 8,000 ft., but to-day the top is enveloped in cloud along with some other high peaks including Mt. Evans, Park dome and Mt. Beaumont. Under this screen of clouds •can oe seen the Bracken snowfield quite plainly. A splendid glacier, which. I hope some day to see, falls off this into tho tVilkinson river, which joins the Whitcombe. Another mountain further west is Alt. Bowen, about B,oooft. Then Mts. Greenland and Rangitoto dwarfed beside them. These bring us to the sea coast. Between all this is a fine panorama. Only part of Upper Kokatahi is seen, the rest !>eing shut out by Mt. Graham. The>~ is ICoiterangi plain, with the Doughboy 2000 ft. high, a mere plaything beside it-s fellow mountains. Art. Alisery near the Hokitika Gorge (not the Look-out near R.imu, which is erroneously called Alt.. Alisery) j Camel back, the Hokitika river and Fraser Peak and Pigeon Hill. Ross township just under the wing of Mt. Greenland is hidden from view. Now from there to Greymouth extends the shore line of the Tasman he a and between is fo-rest area apparently flab, and just removed from the sea, shore is Lake Mahinapua. Hokitika river is seen winding seawards and the township is visible nestling close to the outlet. There is much more hut I must cease and look close at hand. Lake Kanieri right below us, henutiful indeed, calm except where a speed boat is leaving a Y-shaped wave behind it. And now we see the tourist launch returning from Dorothy Falls.

A bottle found at the trig is broken open and the note found inside 1 jeans several Hokitika people's names with the date when they climbed the peak. We also write our names and place inside a. bottle and leave it for the next tram.pcrs.

Well we must return as it is getting really late and must get out of the bush before dark. We have drunk all the tea and are getting thirsty again with no water on the way. This fortunately proved to be wrong for oie of the ladies espied a precious poof of water about two feet square and about three inches deep. There .were some very sarcastic remarks passed about that little pool, but after T. had tested it all hands tried it and drank their fill. The "rest of the trip down was quite enjoyable and we .reached the ear- at the lake about a quarter of an hour before dark, had a drink and something to eat and set oil lor home. At Hie first camps where there were Hokitika proplr snefiding a holiday we found that our late reA

turn lmd been the cause of some concern for oar safety. Hearing that word, was likely to reach Hositika we decided to ring the various homes and explain/ This was wise for about five minutes after I rang the news got in that something had surely happened. Another hour and we were having tea and after this got ready for a dance at the Hospital. This is where the ladies got one back on us \for when we called for them we heard about it for being late. However, we went to the dance until 11 p.m., and returned home thoroughly satisfied with the day. It had now commenced to rain hut we cared not. It was the end of a perfect day.