BEAUTIES OF THE WAIOPEHU RESERVE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3645, 31 May 1927, Page 2

BEAUTIES OF THE WAIOPEHU RESERVE.

ADDRESS BY MR. A DICIN'

At the social evening held at the conclusion of the annual meeting of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce last night, Mr. Adkin, of Levin, gave an intensely interesting address on the “Scenic Beauty of the Waiopehu Reserve.”

Mi 1 . Adkin said that the beauties of the Tararuas, and Oliau Valley in particular, were unsurpassed. Too little was known of the great scenic asset this coast possessed in the Tararuas and a club had recently been formed in Levin, called, the Waiopehu,Club, to exploit this great scenic reserve. The club took its name from the Waiopehu peak, 3,588 feet in height and it was one of the objects of the club to form a good track right up to the summit of this most accessible height. A good car road obtained for five miles out of Levin to the pipe bridge where there was a good parking place for cars. From there it was but a short distance across cleared farm land to the foot of the peak and the bush. It was proposed to erect a sign post at the entrance to the bush and cut a well defined track to the summit. From the top it was possible to see the Marlborough Sounds in all their details, the Horowhenua Plains, Levin, Otaki, Foxton, and even as far north as the mouth of the Rangitikei River, and in. the evening Mount Egmont ‘and Ruapehu, while to the eastward an excellent panorma of the other Tararua peaks was obtained. Some 40 peaks over 4,000 feet, could be seen while there were at least 10 over 5,000 and numerous smaller ones. The club proposed to put the tracks in such a condition that a party could climb to the top of Wiaiapehu and return to Levin the same day. The bush scenery along the track was of unsurpassed beauty and words could not adequately describe the grandeur of the bush. The club also proposed to open up an alternative track down the Ohau Valley. At present access up this valley was by means of the river bed and parties had been caught ‘by flood waters at times and had great difficulty in getting back again. To obviate this

danger the club intended to open up alternative tracks down the valley. Mr. Adkin also referred to his recent trip as one of the pioneering party to cross from Levin to Eketahuna. A peculiar feature of the Tararuas, he said, was the tarns or small lakes of crystal pure water which were to be found on the summit. These were caused in two ways. One cause was wind action. The prevailing wind on the Tararuas was from the west and striking evidence of this fact obtained on the summit. The exposed side was swept as bare as a bitumen road while just over the other side of the ridge vegetation.grew profusely. The wind caused small cavities in the rock which became filled with water and silt. Ultimately the water dried up and the silt was blown away, making the cavity bigger. Another cause was fault fissures and tarns formed in this manner were usually found in twos or threes in a string like beads. When the mountain side slumped, fissures were formed and these became filled with water and became tarns. The edges of these tarns were nearly all cushioned with verdure and had the appearance of billiard table cushions. The water was delightfully clear and very refreshing to bathe in. Deer abounded in these parts but the country was very preemptions and in places as steep as the side of a house. Mr. Adkin added that a trip on the Tararuas was one of the finest tramps obtainable but he added a warning that the services of a guide should be obtained for a tramping expedition on the hills. At the conclusion of his address Mr. Adkin was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his interesting address by the President, who expressed tlie hope that the public of Foxton would be afforded an opportunity of hearing Mr. Adkin speak on this subject. It would.be to Foxton’s advantage, he added, to link up with Levin in popularising this natural asset.

Mr. Adkin also displayed some photographs depicting the grandeur of the locality.