TOAROHA HOT SPRINGS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1930, Page 2

TOAROHA HOT SPRINGS

LITTLE KNOWN THERMAL ACTIVITIES.

(13y Ted M. Gerrity in Christchurch

“Star.”)

Situated near the foot of the stormswept peaks of the Southern Alps, roughly twenty-two miles south-east of Hokitika, are. the Toaroha - Hot Springs. With (the exception of survey parties and prospectors, few people have had the pleasure of bathing in the health-giving waters of the springs, for the country leading up to them, although unequalled for its scenic grandeur, is difficult and often dangerous to traverse. The bush is pathless 'and there are many swift creeks to. .cross where a ' false step would mean) disaster to the traveller.

THE TOAROHA HUT

One Monday afternodn, about tl\e end of February, the writer, together with a rasta) rode away from a farm in the district towards a small a littleibelow the junction ijijfetthe Styx and Ivokatahj Hirers, jjrfe&re on !he following morning the of the trip to the springs be. made. In ourtffimf. we carried provision,;* to last days, togetheh with a tent-flyV-a.ycljahge of clothing and a quantity, bf* 'dry- wood, for that article is hard to' -the springs country owing to) the tlampijeks of the bush. Shiu-tly, before .suiVset, after a ride of about six some of the finest ■dairying land in Westland, we reached the Hut.' It was a small, corrugated iron ' Structure with an incongruous wide chimney, and, despite the absence of furniture, it'proved a very welcome abode. After unsaddling and paddocking the horses we had tea and then retired for tlje night'on the floor, using,:.! pur saddles for pillows. ;•’>)

BLAZING A TRACK

On the following morning, despite (the fact that the clouds iiupg low upon the ranges, we decided to make an early start. After making sure that the horses were safely piiddoeked, we shouldered our swags anil .'Struck 5 out across a bracken-covered; flat, and in a few minutes came to the-,blue, turbulent waters of the , Styx River. Crossing this, we entered the bush, and after a good deal of searching found a track.

About twelve 'years ago my mate, helped to form this track \\ miles through the bush, but, as nothing has been ,dotie to it in that 8 time, it has become completely overgrown with ferns and undergrowth. Before we had gone fur the moisture on the fei’ris had soaked us to tbe skin, and the notorious lawyer and trailing sup-ple-jack did everything in their power to binder our progress.

.When we reached the end of this track travel became slower and more difficult, and new tactics had to 'be adopted, the wisdom of which cannot bo denied. After every ten yards or so of travel we made a gash in the bark of a tree with a hunting knife—a precaution which helps to eliminate the risk of becoming bushed on the return trip. On several occasions, too, the desire to follow a nicely-formed deer-track caused us to go , astray, and a good deal of time was lost retracing, our steps.

A SCENIC WONDERLAND

The scenic attractions of this littleknown country are many. There are ferns of every shape and size, ranging from a few inches in height to tall, stately trees which. , thrust their spreading fans eagerly up to catch the life-giving rays, of light that sometimes filter., weakly into the forest’s dentils, and on timbered slopes the dark red 'of blooming rata, gives a welcome touch-of colour to the vast sea of- greenery.

At times the solemn quietness that broods i',non the West land bush is broken by the melodious chirruping of a bird high up in the branches qf a Joft.v Mack pine tree, and the noisy flapoing of a startled bush pigeon can /be heard as it departs in panic from the branches of a fuchsia tree, where it has been feasting on the succulent berries.

For several hours we stumbled on through the coolness of the bush, thrusting aside the wet undergrowth, scrambling over fallen tree trunks and sometimes squelching knee-deep through patches of slimy swamp. After negotiating a steep, timbered ridge, we could hear, far below on our right the dull roaring of the Toarolia Fiver, swirling through its rocky lied. Slashing our. way down through the bush we came at last to the oank of the river. An awe-inspiring sight it was too! Great smooth rocks, hundreds of tons in weight were strewn along its narrow bed and the swirling blue waters smashed angrily against them and sent up smothers of cold, milky spray. It was tlja..'.first time for nearly two hours that we had come into open country and we noted with great :e----lief that the sky was clearer and the jagged mountain peaks beyond die? jiver were visible through the clouds. Rain at this' stage of the trip would have proved disastrous.

■THE CANYON

After enjoying a meal despite the vicious assaults of swarms of sandflies, wc reshouldered our swags and

took to the bush again. Before long we wandered off our course and ended up in a slimy swamp, bordered with thick undergrowth. This necessitated back-tracking to the point where wo had gone astray, and after that our only alternative seemed'to be to follow along tbe course the Toaroha.

This we did for some distance, stepping carefully over the greasy rocks and clambering up the steep sides of the gorge. It was trying work, too, for one false step would have landed us in the swirling waters, but we managed it in safety and after a while scrambled up the rocky bank and rested a while before attacking the tangle of bush again. From now on every yard of travel seemed to become more difficult. Our hands and faces wore badly scratched by the lawyer and tjic weight of our swags was beginning to tell upon our strength. hate in the afternoon we came to a rough point in the Toaroha River known as the Canyon, Ibut owing to the fact that we were in the bush a considerable distance above it, we were unable to get a good view of the swirling torrent; but the muffled roar of it as it smashed against the high, rocky walls gave an impression of tremendous force. In flood time the roar of the waters can be heard for many miles.

THE SPRINGS.

Our stay at the Canyon was brief for. the shadows were beginning to lengthen qut in the gullies and the uiists were drifting upon the Alps again. The country was very broken , cot.., testifying to tremendous upheavals of) the past, and the rate of our travel was becoming much slower. It seemed as if we would never reach the springs that night, and my mate was not quite sure whether we were on the righ track or not, for it was many years since lie had made the trip.

However,' after about another halfhour’s hard travelling we, caught the strong smell of sulphur drifting in on the breeze. Cheered immensely we increased our pace, skirting along the i, ait;,.iengtlu came . into an (ipiSU ,'ipht'qej;- where- 'pi, .creek),; sweeci ng dpirn^rpuft|e.ijiills/ .bn .’ the left, eiijpfvedUi.nto -the- river. . ."••By 'thebsjitje o.f.this.’creek the springs ai:<y situated) but)- o-jring t-o the darkness tiia't' had''ndw;,almost fully settled upon.’ 'the ybushV' and our extreme tifedijipss,. Ave left our inspection untfl‘) thf;; m,prnjpg) ; After ) 'rigging up ohf : thht )fiy,- ; bivouac' style, we set (fbout ’preparing'.a njea) over a small jure’ ki'iicjled had hfoiight-'with) /. ■ (■•• The biggest part of the evening was 'spoilt ’in drying out wet clothes and propelling oyer •"file fire. It . was cold, qnd we hat] brought no blankets with usy and ■the' mosquitoes swarmed into tfie circle of firelight in thousands. We rose early on the following morning, anxious to enjoy a bathe in the springs, and then prepare for our. return journey. It was not difficult to find the springs, for the steam rising off them and drifting up into the cold air waa visible for some distance. Roughly the springs comprise an area of about fifteen feet, but, no doubt, if tile sand and gravel were dug away they could be considerably enlarged. The hot water bubbles up through the sand ■ which has to be scooped f.wa.y in order to form, a bath, and if the water should prove to ibe too hot, cold water can be added from the creek.

MUNGA GOLD!

We would have liked'to spend a few days longer at the springs, but our food supply' was getting low, and the weather was not too fine.

If we had had the time to spare it was our iivi.cntion to push on a little distance into the Mnitga River country, which lies two days’ hard tramp on from the springs, and* do a little prospecting for gold. This country (together with the springs) was first yeyed by Dr Bell and party about twenty-five years agh, but, owing to the difficulties of transport, it has been very little explored in that time. Men who have, from time to time, penetrated the Munga, have all returned with good gold .prospects, •

If a pack track were cut through the bush it would be possible to make the springs trip in one day, and it would be the means also of .enabling parties to make a careful search for the mineral wealth that may lie within the untrodden hills beyond. Perhaps this may he done at some future date, and, until then, the wonderful journey cun only be made by blazing a track and trudging doggedly through the miles of virgin hush.

THE RETURN,

Well satisfied with our trip and feeling surprisingly invigorated alter our bathe in the springs, we started off early for home. The journey did not take so long this time, for we were able to follow our tracks easily, and in the late afternoon we came out of the bush on to the river flat, where our horses were waiting to mice us hack home.