AN EVENTFUL TRIP

Hokitika Guardian, 26 June 1929, Page 2

AN EVENTFUL TRIP

'* TO THE WEST COAST. JAN U All V —iFEBRU ARY, 1929. “ rm t (Continued). Before reacJiing the old Cascade homestead, which we, on account of circumstances, decided to make our destination for that day, we had to cross the Martyr River and here the unfortunate chestnut, whose previous accidents had apparently affected his usual good judgment failed to follow the leading horses and got out of his depth before I, who was assisting one of the trampers on a spare horse, could check him. Facing downstream, and sitting on his haunches he goes sailing rapidly down-stream until he strikes a submerged tree over which he straddles, at the same time being somehow hooked up. He commenced sec-sa.wing, sometimes head under and sometimes hind quarters under water, but eventually his head part became heaviest and all we saw was four hoofs above the water and moving slowly down-stream. When the onlookers, quite unable to help, thought all was up, up comes tjhe chestnut’s head and our dripping packs appeared but still bobbing down-stream in deep water. He finally landed in still shallow water but with a very soft bottom which would not enable him to rise. - Riding flicbig grey pack , horse, I partly swam and partly,floundered over submerged timber, till < I reached him and succeeded in removing the load and saddle and assisting him to rise irom the cold’’ flood waters. He was too weak to':he moved, so was left, also the saddle and packs now very heavy by their.' severe ducking. As we reached the old Cascade homestead, a very welcome sight, the rain subsided and the sky gradually cleared. The following day I saddled the pack team and returned for the loads with Mr S., who then continued down the Jackson valley photographing the scenery which he says he has never known its equal. On the following day, a beautiful clear morning the team were prepared for the return journey, also Mr S., who was not’of the .geological party, but who accompanied the party on the journey 'in, to gain experience, and experience he got.' I had decided to make Oku'ru, 36 miles, our destination with the empty pack team and we reached the Arawata Hut in good time,;,, eyen though leaving the track to view the dark waters of the hush beyond little Lake Mary. After lunch we took the horses down the river to swim them across at a suit- , “ ’ tressing accident of the whole journey happened. In driving the packhorses across, less the unfortunate chestnut which I had left at Cas- . cade to recover from his rough experience and a hack left for the convenience of the party, the big grey, a 9 he was well known by, and a young chestnut hack which I had been riding, became entangled in some unknown manner in each others harness and in the struggle that ensued both animals became drowned, in full view of us both, vet nothing possible could be done. The grey made a great bid for his life. In one instance standing at full length on his hind legs, with the tip of his nose just above the surface, tearing with all his might as the other horse was dragging him down. And thus passed, under sad circumstances, one of the noblest and best of pack-horses that ever travelled the West Coast tracks. A perfect outlaw when I bought him at a low figure five years ago when then just a young horse, he turned out to be one of the noblest of horses. He has “crossed the roughest of rough couiitry where no other horse has ever, been and never will again. Carried many . held up travellers over a seething flooded river and was known for hundreds of miles as an extraordinary horse, and was loved as a horse never was, by all who came in contact with him.. The unfortunate young chestnut was likewise a promising horse and would undoubtedly have become an honest “gee-gee” till his old age. The rest of the day was occupied in searching for the carcases in order to salvage the saddlery but we were only successful in saving one set. We camped that night in the Arawa’ta Hut and reached Okuru the following mid-day. While boating the Arawata crossings ,the crazy craft rushed into a snag and became lodged in mid-stream and it looked as if we would have to remain there or swim out, hut we eventually got her out and landed safely, but by this time our horses had got away on an island in the river and more time was lost getting them to the bank. We had also to ferry the Waitoto and reached the Turnbull and Hapuka at low tide which enabled vis to ford. We were held up at Okurn two 'days with rain and floods and the day we did travel was wet and we were, glad to reach the .Clarke Hut, after the long day of 37 miles. Next looming it was clear we would have to rush, things to reach Makarora before serious floods again overtook us and with an early start reached the Burke Hut in good time, hut a little beyond this we discovered serious washouts which affected our progress. One place, at a sheer rock face, we crossed the horses over a ledge barely a foot wide with the river roaring just below. We then encountered several small slips, but 1 managed to get the horses over, then we encountered the large slip which cost, and is still costing the Govern-

ment so much to repair. It looked indeed a nasty looking place but as our chief concern was to push through and cross Dan’s Ford before it became unfordable, we straight away commenced to make a kind of bench with stones. Mr S. went away in search for tools while I did my best with my hands, and all the while it was teeming with rain and the river in the gorge below rising rapidly. After some hours, with the aid of tools found, wo did, with minor accidents, succeed in getting the horses across the six chain wide and steep slip. How they were persuaded to attempt the climb up the last steep piece I cannot understand. We had hardly got the last horse over when down came, a large quantity of rocks and trees completely blocking any chance of returning that way. Both of us narrowly escaped the flying stones. One huge boulder buzzed so near my head that I can hear the whizz of it yet. Another fell between us and a smaller one hit my. heel almost sending me off the tiny bench I was standing on. We pushed on only to meet more slips and though we made repeated endeavours to get the horses round only succeeded in getting one horse badly out and much blood was lost. It was plain dynamite was required and it becoming dark we scrambled our way back to the Burke Hut, leaving the horses on the track.

We were without food, having dumped our extra rations at the Clarke Hut, but found a few raspberries growing next day and a tin of salmon which fortunately was left in our swag. The big flood of the 10th had been in the hut over two and a half feet, covering the stools in the hut and leaving about four inches of silt on the floor/ We spent a miserable night without food and blankets. Next day we renewed our efforts of getting a track over the next two slips but all in vain and our horses had to be left on about ten chains of bush track until help could be obtained. At mid-day we left for Makarora on foot. On reaching the Wills bridge we found that it had suffered also by flood damage and had a nasty “kink” in the centre, evidently hit by a tree coming down with the flood waters. The flood waters here had risen to forty feet. The bridge is a short span across a gorge. We encountered two' more very severe slips and several minor ones, and the crossing of Dan’s ford which gave us anxiety the day before, proved dangerously deep lut we had to get across. It is a nasty crossing at the best with a. fall and rapid both below and above. We managed however to get across with the skin of our teeth, in fact, I was well off down-stream when Mr S. grabbed me, he then being out of the worst current. I could not swim not that it would have been possible there. I had Mr S.’s camera strapped securely under my armpit and water got inside the ease, which gives some idea of the depth. This was our worst obstacle over but we crossed scores of streams before we reached Ewing’s accommodation house at Makarora, at dusk, hungry, weary and foot-sore.

The next day I made arrangements for assistance and tools, etc., and on the following morning I packed over chaff for the horses temporarily mar r ooned on the track. Two days later we got the horses back to the - Burke, looking decidedly ragged and thin hut the luxuriant grass thereabouts soon brought back their condition. As goon as we reached Makarora the serious damage was promptly reported and soon the authorities, had relief workmen on the ground but it was six weeks later before the track was passable for traffic. Mr S. did much to speed up matters upon his return to Christchurch. I have much to thank my companion for on this trip of many accidents, especially for coolness in face of dangerous situations and above all his uncomplaining adaption to the many inconveniences on that trip. I had yet to return to pack out the specimens from the Cascade, also the packets, etc?, of the members of the party, who even in spite of reverse weather conditions covered much country and secured much material for analysis, which I hope may prove of national importance as I firmly believe the possibilities of the Red Hill and adjoining districts are almost unlimited and I am pleased to learn further attempts are to be made to thoroughly prospect certain areas.

On my return journey to the Cascade I found local people had removed the boat at the Arawata river which meant I had to Ford on horseback but luckily I found a fair ford and managed to get across without getting wet. Luckily I was a day ahead of schedule, otherwise I would have been certainly unable to have reached them as the river rose that night and remained high for some days after. I was held up a day at Arawata, floods again, but still reached my destination on the appointed day. On the return journey to Makarora we had to abandon our horses at the Burke hut and proceed with fairly heavy' packs on foot. Our first attempts to cross Dan’s ford were unsuccessful and we had to return to the Burke hut which had now become a roadman’s camp and here We were very hospitably received. Our next attempt to cross the difficult ford proved successful and with packs up wo commenced to tramp over -the Pass to Wan aka. I went ahead to reach the telephone befoi e 5 p.m. to make arrangements for the launch and fortunately ran against a wandering horse of mine which appeared at the right place and right time, as the sole of my boot was almost off. We looked a rough looking

crow with our month's growth on our faces and clothes showing the signs of our rough experiences. Air T., and his companions were in the remote parts of Westland a month under the worst possible con ditions but strange to say lmrclly had they passed from Makarora than the weather cleared and pcriect wealner was experienced right through to the end of April with only a few wet days in May, and ho fore their arrival a! Makarora splendid weather had been experienced.