RAMBLING STORIES

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1929, Page 2

RAMBLING STORIES

' EN ROUTE SOUTH. The early days are always a fruitful topicofcofiveiaation when touring south, and you drop into converse with the pioneers of., that progressing district." - Many of the original pioneers have passed away, but their sons and daughters are there carrying on,, and beaming bravely. Those who have passed their lives in the south can many,,a. tale unfold, btxt the basis'of -it all is- pluck and' determination. Most; of. the rising gen. eration have done.well.- Theui* fathers before-them spiecj put* the land, and the offspring have had to ctiViy on. Access, has been improved since the sea beacl( was, the only, route to the south, and, then a ,toiling .march up the rough, river beds to the hold? ings. Most *of the holdings of those biave days of old, now carry smiling homesteads. *There are good roads} few rivers to ford since bridges now span the majorstreams. • ■ y One old gentleman, a veritable pioneer, who lives now mostly in the past, told hoW he came to the Coast in an open boat all the way round from Bjiverton. He lapsed at flifferT ent beaches on the jjquamey, and one place out of good nature, proceeded to help a settler do some p'ltsawing. "In the bourse of the c perations the 'lbg rolled' oyer the .new arrival, and be received’ such. injury that he to, stay where he was for treatment and attention. His mates went on without him—-and fiq for over '60 1 years he has sojourned in the south. •■■■■■• - ' V

Another pidheer t a, lady, told how she edmb Out from London, over $ years ago—a bride. 1 From Mikohpj south she had to ride, and rode on to Gillespie’s—to he- her— home. - ’ She speaks in a most kindly way of the Irish community which peopled Gj|lespie’s thep, and life-long friendships were made. Now 1 with her help-mate gone, but., a. worthy son ,to comfort her, this veritable,, lady, of {.ondph now lives in- happy contentment on her farm, and -in . a home where unfitness and comfort , are .the distinguishing ' lived - happily ever since. . Fiction cpuld not produce “ a happier, ending to a' happily spent ancj contented.,life. : , ■>, y v Round the domestic hearth the talk was of stock. Nowadays South 71 Westland produces- the finest in • that line, and one settler at last sale scored top price with '£2s ahead. , ago, his father before him brought a mob to the. ihari;et, aruTlthe best price offered ".whs '[£, 5 a, head. That was too cheapo 'siirelyi ..-after the 150 iriile trail-to^the?'fialb yards, ancl -Vo it was decided to hold/the cattle till the nexi -sale-flay. however,’ played one 'of its pranks, and the best price offered-‘was £4 15s per 1 head, and the mob had to be sacrificed.

Bird life is ' increasing south. The settlers will .tell yop; that the, i.atiye oigeon, one of the gems of the forest, is on the increase/. . These birdsnre now patron'ieirtg tlbir /clover • fields ‘ ip strong numbers. Pukaki, are doing likewise. A few kaka are. to be peard 100 miles south, fetid on occasional kea screaches as it. iiies; In brighter. contrast, ttife shining cuckoo ('a very prettily marked bird) ' may be beard here and ,th^re.' ; There is a Bobrobin Flat hn : the: way to Wehbkk, across-Ta 'silver pine' -The legend goes that if you' swing an axe on the stumps here and there, a bobrobin br 'two wCll'arrive to investigate the proceedings' in the cheerful way of the little bird. It. is pleasing to learn of the increase in bird-Lfe and to know -that some of the most pleasing species, including the tui, and other sweet warblers are not likely to become extinct.

There are fish stories, of course, in the south. A well known bonifuce says he has'a tame eel, on his selection, Whibh- Will eat out of his hand.' The eel is there to be seen. Eels by the way are : plentiful in the south. The habitat of the Maoris in the curly days at Jacobs River, suggests fish in plenty, arid it is a fact 'that eels in the swamps thereabouts are in plenty/ 'find the Maori custom was to fish for them by hand, groping about under tW tussocks. Fishermen’s luck was good 1 * invariably. On Labqur Day a twelve' potmd eel was landed at. Weheka. The same day watching the whitebait sporting in Jacobs river, an interesting sight was seen. A contrivance had been placed in the river by a Maori to catch the little fish. But to enter the prison the fish had to jump out of. the water into the trap, apd they were busy'"'•doing this—sometimes singly, sdmetiinies in doubles—leaping over the stones to their prison: Whitebait have been plentiful in the southern rivers,. Karangarua river notably so. Trout are plentiful in take Paringa— splendid specimens at ,that; v Deer are appearing now in the Paringa-Blue River country. It 'is likely the range of country will be prospected next stalking season to learn the value of the heads in that locality. Opossums have been seen as far south as Weheka. South land territory would prove a splendid domicile for the opossum—but care should be taken to introduce only the very best kinds.

It was the male section which first invaded the south. Women folk came later. One settler remarked what a boon and a blessing the telephone had beeh to the south, and mentioned how Mrs R. J. Seddon at Okarito promised a deputation of womenfolk to use her influence with her husband to get the lino through. Mrs Seddon’s influence was paramount, and the line once started, went on to tOkuru. But the women folk were .slow in peopling the settlement. There was in the days past, one well

known kindly soul, living at one of the ferries. A young wife came into the district but was six miles away by road. -The late R. J. Seddon seized the true position, and had a short cut track of a mile or. so made so that these two isolated women might meet each other more often than the road permitted.

In the days of the beach route, when mailman, and packman and traveller, had to forage their way along the coast, stock also also had to be driven that route. The story is told that coming to a place where a high bluff came down to the sea, a drover in the endeavour to rca:h his objective that evening, ■ attempted to drive the mob round the . rough rocky bluff. But the tide came in, and the sea carried the cattle into deep water. The sun was setting 'in the west, and the mob of cattle turned out towards the brighter light, swimming out to sea, and none were recovered.

There is a good spirit of enterprise in the south. Witness the fine, modem dwellings ornamenting many a homestead block. Good farm buildings are increasing. The two hostels at Waiho and Weheka are the product of the sons and daughters of early pioneers who forged theVr way into the back country, and laid the foundation for the future prosperity which has come through the display of the same progressive spirit. Many changes are taking place, but the great natural features in scenic gems are unchangeable. Mountain and lake, river and bush are the great store-house of scenic treasure which is drawing increasing numbers to enjoy the special features of South Westland which are unchallenged by any part of the world.