A Tour in New Zealand.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 973, 27 August 1881, Page 2 (Supplement)

A Tour in New Zealand.

bis George Grey at Kawiu. [From the Melbourne Leader}. Sir George Grey is the most prominent personage in New Zealand. Although not at present a member of the Government, or even the recognised leader of the Opposition, but simply a member of the House of Representatives, residing most of his time on a small island at the extreme end of the Colony, there is no man who receives such a large share of public notice. The doings of Sir George Grey are constantly being discussed in the press and on the platform, and his name is a subject of general conversation. He appears to be the most bitterly hated politician in the country by one powerful section of the community, and by another section the respect which he commands is more nearly akin to affection than is generally found connected with politics. Ihe strength of his opponents’ hatred no less than of his supporters’ trust, in him gives him the conspicuous place which he occupies in the public mind. His supporters are Grevites, and they constitute the only political party in the Colony which has a name, all others being simply anti-Greyites. The island of Kawau, situated 24 miles north of Auckland, is reached by a steamer, which calls at Sir George Grey s pier once a week. The steamer had just left Auckland as I arrived, and as I could neither afford to wait for a week nor make up my mind to leave New Zealand without seeing the “ great pro-Consul ” at his “ island home,” I resolved to try the experiment of reaching Kawau from Waiwera, the watering place described in the last paper. The island is about 8 miles out to sea from Waiwera, though it is only 2 or 3 miles from the main land at a point further north. Sullivan, the boatman at the hot springs, charges 30s for the trip across to Kawau, and as I found a party of five willing to join me, the arrangement was exceedingly satisfactory to one who, though “on pleasure bent,” yet “ had a frugal mind.” I had heard that Sullivan was a remarkably careful boatman, or otherwise I should not have undertaken such a journey in the somewhat high wind that was blowing. The wind was favorable, however, going over, and all went well, Sullivan “ obliging ” on several occasions with a song to cheer us along. The boatman’s singing was better than the Waiwerapoetry, judging from a sample of the latter which I found the evening before in the hotel book. Amongst other effusions inspired by the muse of the hot springs was a long composition of several pages, of which the opening lines were —

With tumultuous emotion we crossed o’er the ocean, The pool of Bethsaida to seek ; The wind blew, the rain poured, the waves tossed and roared, And we were all dreadfully sick. It is only fair to state that the “ poem ” was modestly headed, “ Some Lines that Halt from Rheumatism,” and it could not be expected that even one of “ the sacred nine ” would be at her best while suffering from such a complaint. Our party consisted of four rheumatic subjects, a gentleman from England, who was travelling for pleasure, and myself. Coming round a bold bluff of the island of Kawau, a beautiful scene burst suddenly upon our view’. It was Sir George Grey’s residence, situated on a charming little bay, cosily sheltered by surrounding low hills, clad with trees and shrubberies. A plain, homely-looking two-storey house was seen peeping out from among the trees, and a semi-tropical appearance was given to the scene by a number of tall flowering aloes, which towered above the dark green of the pines and firs. I afterwards found in the garden ripe oranges, sweet potatoes, prickly pear trees, bearing fruit, and other indications of the warm climate of this sheltered spot, with a slope towards the north-east. The strawberry tree and the Paraguay tea tree were also among the various interesting productions of the garden. The island contains about 5000 acres of land, and an area of about 10,000 acres of water has been enclosed in beautiful bays around the shore. There is a volcano basin in the centre, and the remainder of the island is high undulating land, which originally bore a stunted kind of scrub. The scrub has been cleared off to admit of the growthof pasture, and the whole island has been adorned by the planting of

trees. The remains of an old Maori pah is one of the curiosities of the island, and from this can be seen the buildings connected with an old copper mine. This mine w T as worked by an English company, which did not succeed, although the copper lode is said to be a rich one. About 12 years ago Sir George purchased the island from the company, so that he cannot be charged with having acquired any land from the Governments with which he has been connected. A flock of about 2000 sheep are grazed on Kawau, but it is evident from the way in which the place is stocked with English pheasants, kangaroos, wallabies, of every kind and other descriptions of game that money making is not the object sought in the management of the estate. Sir George did not say much about his sheep, but he claimed to have every kind of kangaroo represented on Kawau. The island is valued under the property tax at £16,000, but the interest derived from this amount must be very small. Sir George Grey is understood to have an income of some £BOOO or £lO,OOO, which he inherits from his relations, so that he belongs to a class rarely met with in connection with colonial politics, viz., those who are not engaged in money making. We have many wealthy men but generally the wealthiest are as keenly engaged in business as the poorest, and consequently as little able to act from public motives as any other class. Having ample means, and not being engaged in fortune making, Sir George Grey, like Gladstone and other eminent statesmen, may claim to be “ a professional politician.”