MISCELLANEOUS.

Otaki Mail, 11 October 1922, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

1 It has always been considered madness to tour in New Zealand before Christinas, at any rate, but Mr C. Johnston and party, of Jervois road, Ponsonby,- Auckland, have just returned from a 1000 mile trip of the North Island, and they all agreed that it was thp most pleasant tour they have ever enjoyed. On the return journey at Tarawera they indulged in a big snowball fight. The weather was fine for the three weeks they were away and the roads were excellent. Mr Johnston says they have bridged the creek at Atiamuri which has always been the means of stopping a lot of motorists from taking advantage of the short cut \ to Taupo, especially after a shower of! rain. The creek would swell in an I

hour, and although it was no width, it i was too deep for a car to negotiate with, the carburettor getting submerg- . ed, or the magneto wet, either of which ! will stop the best car made. The party enjoyed the tour best from Taranaki j through the gorge to Napier, as the j s oads were splendid, | SEAL SENSATION.

Before returning from the fishing | grounds one evening recently a Colac I Bay (Southland) fisherman had a I novel and interesting experience. Ap-

proaching the moorings in his launch, . he picked up first one and then an- [ other of the oars from his dinghy, and . as he noared the fishing shed, where , the small boat was supposed to be floating at anchor, it was not to be seen. A closer investigation, however, result- , ed in an entertaining discovery being ' made. The boat was practically subI merged, and was occupied by a large 1 fur seal, which had clamoured in and ' settled down for a comfortable sleep. | Judicious ooaxing with an oar failed to 1 dislodgo tho stranger, who became very ' annoyed at the disturbance, and was 'inclined to oppose the claimant's title to his cubicle. In fact, he was only ejected by upturning the boat, in which the fisherman and his party went ashore, after anchoring his launch. Next morning it was discovered that the seal had attempted unsuccessfully to board the launch, evidently desiring to continue his slumbers in peace.

' i EXCITING PIG HUNT. Some Masterton pig-hunters had an exciting experience in the bush at the foot of the Tararuas. The party wore , returning with a fine young sow, which they had secured, when the dogs got on tho scent of a big boar, that did not "bail" until it reached the thick undergrowth, where it was impossible to shoot unless within a fow yards. With infinite cunning the boar eluded its pursuers with short desperate breaks, but I the dogs finally cornered him in a nar- , row gully. When capture seemed certain, it cleared a track through the dogs, killing one outright and narrowly missing another, which escaped with a slight rip on the throat. The remaining dog, evidently thinking discretion the better part of valour, did not follow the boar, which made .good its escape. At this time of the year boars are particularly dangerous, and inexperienced hunters would be wise to avoid pig-hunting for the next two months.—Age.

| ANOTHER EL DORADO!

Excitement has been caused in the Yeppoon district in Queensland by a rumoured discovery of payable gold. The story goes that a couple of months bapk a mining prospector died in the Brisbane hospital, and on his death-bed confided to an old mate that he had obtained £40,000 worth of gold at a place half way between Stockyard point and Mount Atherton. The dying man is said to have given his mate a rough plan showing where the gold was obtained. A man passed through Yeppoon the other day who claimed to be the partner of the dead man's mate in i the new find. He carried a large swag j and the usual gold prospectors ■' outfit, and it is alleged that he had the plan of this El Dorado. I ■