TIAKITAHUNA TO FOXTON BY RIVER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2687, 26 January 1924, Page 4

TIAKITAHUNA TO FOXTON BY RIVER.

A NOVEL TRIP. Two young men (says the Times) Messrs Raymond Anderson, of the Manawatu Power Board’s staff and Stanley Lerwill, of the Agricultural Department, "Wellington, spent the Christmas vacation in a novel manner, embarking on a trip from Tiakitahuna to the Foxton beach by the river in a 17-foot flat-bottomed boat designed and constructed by the former. At 6 o’clock on Boxing Day, the young men left Tiakitahuna and from there to Rangitane bridge encountered about a dozen groups of rapids, which were successfully crossed, the bridge being reached shortly after seven. Until then there had been a favourable wind, but when this dropped the trippers were forced to requisition the oars. It was a beautiful morning, however and there was a fairly swift fresh in the river, which assisted them greatly. At about 9 o’clock the craft passed (lie mouth of the Oroua river and shortly after this the occupants went for a swim, and then allowed the boat to drift down with the current in the shade of huge over-hanging willows, which fringe the banks in several places on the journey. The general scenery on the trip was described by Mr Anderson as beautiful, particularly a stretch below the Shannon bridge, where the willows grow in wild profusion along each side of the river. The excursion, he said, presented practically no difficulties, and the way was smooth after the rapids had been crossed. The river was very twisted, and in some places one could travel for miles and then come back to a spot passed long since. About the Whirokino bridge, which was reached at 7..15 p.m., the explorers encountered the incoming tide, and this forced them again to commission the oars. They arrived at Fox ton at 8.40, after having had a snack on the side, and battled against a heavy current to the beach, which they reached at about 11.30 p.m. The trip, a matter of 83 miles, was accomplished in 171 hours, though it is estimated that if the tide had not tinned against them, the navigators would have gained their destination in 12 hours, or a little less. Very few snags were encountered though in one place the boat ran on to a submerged log, but no damage was done. The young men started out on the return journey several days later, but they got only as far as Foxton township. There were waves three feet high in the river and a strong current was running. It was therefore deemed advisable to abandon the project. The excursion however, was a great success, and proved very enjoyable, as well as a novel way of spending a holiday.