THE CAMPBELL ISLANDS.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 245, 12 July 1928, Page 3

THE CAMPBELL ISLANDS.

GOOD SHEEP COETNTRY. New Zealanders in general know very little about seme of the outlying islands of the Dominion. The Campbell Islands might be quoted as an instance, where ignorance is at its peak. The main island lies about 400 miles south-east of Bluff, and was discovered about 120 years ago. The island is rugged and there are several good harbours. For some years now, the island has been leased for grazing purposes, but tales are told of illegal seal-raids there years age, while a Scots family actually resided on the island for a good many years. Not many years ago there was an announcement made that a woman had been marooned there by, presumably, a whaling ship in the ’forties of last century, but the accuracy of that statement was questioned. However, the island is in regulalr occupation now as a sheep station.

The Otago Daily Times a few days ago recorded that Mr H. Warren and four others left the Campbell Islands at 8 a.m. on Monday in the small steamer Awarua and reached Bluff at 3 p.m. two days later. Mr Warren’s brother, who has the lease of the islands, and his nephew remained behind. Mr Warren states that there are about 52,000 acres in the main island, and that the kind of tussock which covers about two-thirds of it provides excellent grazing for sheep. At the present time there are some 3,000 sheep on the island, and the lambing season this year totalled 900. Sixtyone bales of wool and three bales and seven bundles of sheepskins were brought up by the Awarua. The sheep are chiefly the Romney-corriedale cross. The highest mountain on the main island—Mount Honey —is I,Booft.

It is remarkable that vegetables cannot be got to grow on the islands, and the party had to rely on a species of kale for green food. The party did not bother much about fishing, but secured a few flounders on the flat stretches of the .beach.

Albatrosses are very plentiful, and also sea lions, moliyhawks, and terns; but there are no mutton birds on the island, neither are there any rabbits. There are also plenty of sea lions and sea elephants, and both of them come up on to the land. The sea lions are harmless unless interfered with, but can become very ferocious if any one meddles with them. The sea elephants, on the other hand, are very friendly—so friendly, indeed, that Mr Warren states they take no notice even if you lie on them.

Mr Warren had a rather strange experience when digging a ditch near the homestead. He felt an obstruction, and then uncovered an old-time 6in. loaded shell. How it came there is a mystery.