THE AWHITU DISTRICT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 1, Issue 93, 16 May 1913, Page 1

THE AWHITU DISTRICT.

An Interesting Trip.

(By our Travelling Htpr^s.ntative.)

(Cuntiuued.) MANUKAU HEADS. After a tortuous climb up a narrow zig-zag J ath for many hundreds of feet, I arrived on the top of the dividing rarge between tha west coast and the harbour. The main road from the lighthouse lo Awhitu runs along this ridge, ard considering the endkss broken ccunlry on either side is in itself fairly hvel and in fair order. The view from the load hera is splendid. One side is tha ocean as fsr as tne eye can reach, with rolling white breakers curlieg in o;i a wide iron sand with towerirg liills all aloflg the coast line. On the ottier eicJe ycu have at ( unbroken view of the Manukau habour ?.nd the trail 01 an ingoing steamer can be followed right up to Onehunga. This was a sight which Will repaid for the witting and the precipitous climb. THE LIGHTHOUSE. On turning on lo the main read I encountered the light-keeper, Mr Anderson, and his atsistan*, Mr Marlow, who were just returning from Awhitu with lood supplies, to I was t3ken by them right down to the and keeper's residence. The houses are somewhat sheltered by a sand dune covered with lupins, but the lighthouse itself faces right on to the bar, ard ia a familiar mark to travellers on the west coast and south-guing steamers. Mr Anderson kindly offered to show me over the lighthouse, which offer w?.s willingly accepted. The lighthouse is not. aa might be supposed, en the highest point, hut some distance - dawn the cliff. It wa3 explained that if the li<>ht were placed 0:1 the highest point the lays would over-reach the dangerous pcrtinrs of tr.e bar and would not be the valuable guide it now is to mariners. Mr Ande;son has teen 26 years in the service and has served en moat of the principal lights in the Dominion. He had put in some of hi a tint term at Manukau head?, and alter being all round had got back here. The light, it was explained to me, was a third order, fixed, had a radius if 27 miles. It was not nearly as powerful aa many others around our coasts, as it was a guide as well as a warring to shipping, and was necessary for the proper navigation of the bar. Ot course, when closer in the heacons are really the guides for taking the bar, and these point out the particular channels. Inside the lighthouse as well as outside everything was in the pink of order ard twice doubly clean and bright. don't touch those," said Mr Ai.dersoi l , as I went to put my finger on the prisms. The slightest mark there would, with the heat of the lamps, become burnt on to the glass and be most difficult to clean. Durirg the daytime It is necessary to keep blinds down in the lamp room, as there would be danger of the prisma or reflectors concentrating the sun's rays on to eome woodwork or inflammable objects ar.d causing a fire. A visitor's book was produced where names had been entered since 1874, ar.d even to this isolated spot quite a number of sightseers have been. From here I was shown a short cut across to the signal station, where I found Captain Grant in temporary charge. Having tesn 37 years on boats trading on this coast Captain Grant was a competent and accurate judge ot the state of the bar.

'•Yes," he said in answer to my inquiry, "ycu are lucky to get here on a clay like tnii. I've never known it much worse. This morning it wss almost a howling gale. Look at the bar; it's just a seething mass of foam, no boat could live in it." And I said: "I suppose no

boat woull go out to-day." "I would not alljw them to," he replied; and almost as 1 spoke the telephone langand Captain Norbury, of the Rarawa, asked if the bar was safe. "No, certainlv not!" was the reply. To m?, a land.srra*, it did not lock so dreadful, but the height ar.d the fact of looking down on the waves prevented an inexperienced person from being able to judge wh?.t it really was like. But the wind fairly howled ard the rear and clatter of the flag-pole, with its multitude cf guys and traces, was almost deafening. Tee shelter staging trembled and shock, and it was almost impossible to stand without holding cn. On this staging there is a room built for the vise of the e'grallcr while on duty, but it was not designed fcr a big man or,: a tall one. Overall, it measures about 3 feet by 6 feet, ard includes several cupboards, shelves and a table. At a dreary station like this the Department might surely be a li'.tie more liberal with their accommodation. 1 was pointed out the exact spot wherj 11.M.5. Orpheus was wrecked soma 56 years ago, ail hands lost; the Emma Bark (named so, on account cf a boat of that n?me being wrecked there.) The bowsprit of the ba.-que Keliance (which got into trouble here only a few norths agi>) lay on the b:ach bebw us

Captain Grav.t informed me th3t while cossing the bar some years ago he saw from the bridge of his boat what he feel 3 certain wai the upturned bottom of the Orpheus. As no one saw it but himself the matter could r.ot be officially recorded, but in his own mind he is certain that m the trough of a big wave that ia what he saw, and his vessel was almost on it. He almost, next instant, expected to feel the bump cf his steamer striking, but fortunately all passed ever safely and the sight'has never been rgain report. Regretfully leaving these interesting narratives I was obliged to make off again, as 1 had to meet my guide, Mr Morrison, at 4 o'clock. A call was mada at the post office and telephone station. Further on is a small school, wh-:re some 20 children were at play, and alongsiJe a fina field cf turnips which had been planted by an enterprising settler who lived some distance away. MAKING A SHORT CUT. From Pleasant Valley to Awhitu Central a short cut, which means the saving of several miles, can be obtained, but I should certainly not advise anyone to take it unless they were endowed with plenty of nerve and had secured the services of a competent and careful guide such as Mr Morrison. The first mils or sn is al.ight, alcng a branch of the Valley which spurs off in various directions, gradually narrowing in width till it runs sheer into the hills. Along all these spurs the land is exceptionally fertile and is carrying large mobs of cattle and horses. Everywhere it can get a hold the grass ih growing luxuriantly, and is, I am told, always green, such a thisig as dried pastures being unknown arouiid these valleys.

But the climb up fiom the valley by this "short cut" tj the high land again is along a very crooked and narrow cattle track, ar.d In wet weather it would be well nigh impassable. My trip was in the summer, and in daytime, and I wasn't looking far anything worse, but Mr Morrison, who is familiar with this work and these tracks, often makes the trip at night time. I might hsve been induced to do so, too, if I had not seen the passage, but having seen it I certainly would camp cn top fcefura attempting a eight ride ir.to the valley, GOOD CHEESE.

Once on top again the road is good a:;d passes through private property for about a mile, when we emerged on to tha public road which led us into Awhitu Central, where a church, gc!io:i and the closer settlement showed this tn be an old es'ablished centre. This is the heart of Awhitu, ard some excellent farms were noticed. Home cheesemaking is again the usual industry, and a really superior article ia everywhere turned out. I sampled

chees. 1 at almost every homestead I visi'ed, and though I suffered accordingly it was on account cf quantity, the qiality always induced an overdose to be taken,

Here I parted with my guide, Mr A. Morrison, win during my short sojourn and acquaintance with him was most hospitable and olid ail in his rower to assist and acquaint me with the district AT MR H. GARLAND'S. A comfortable right's lodging was found at the residence of Mr Henry Garland. Mr Garland keeps the post office and has the telephone bureau in his house. He is also clerk of the Road Board and an engineer of some repu'e. Most cf the successful read grading tint has been done round Awhitu has be:n under his supervision * and engineering. Mr Rcnali in the course of his addresses at the different centres, said he hoped to secure the services of Mr Garland for the County Council before very long. * The excellent way the roads were graded around these districts reflected great credit on their engineer, and WB3 probably the biggest reason for the ratepayers being so averse t'j merging into the Ccuntv Council in this area. KAURI TIMBER. Around this part of Awhitu large quantities of kauri trees have been felled and the legs taken to the saltwater and rafted to Onehunga. With bullocks ar.d simrly constructed winches they have been pulled out of what appeared to be inaccessible ravines and gorges. Rome still remain, but gradually nil are being salvaged. Some have been sawn up locally, as piles of face cuts and sawdust in different parts will show. THE CATAMARAN. The catamaran ia a much used vehicle in these parts and is the common means of Lcomo'.ion. The chief styles have rucner in fro it and two wheels at the back These wheels are cut from a solid plank, are properly tyred and b.xed to take a patent axle and are generally very fitrongly made affairs, the height ranging from two feet downwards. But the iron-shod runner in front is very hard on the roals, ar.d is constantly cutting out a groove in the centre of the thoroughfare which makes a lot of patching for the surfacemen. J HAMILTON'S VALLEY. Being advised to take the homeward trip through Hamilton's Valley, 1 wss pleased trt find tha". this was also the'] ehortest and the be.st route. About half-s-mile fiom the property Mr VV. Hamilton was met, ani he very kindly came back to ensure our firding tha right track and point out the different localities. This flat contains about 500 acres of soma of the richest land to be found in tha district and is surrounded by hundreds of acres nf the finest of west coast country, beautiful undulating slypes where grass is everlasting. The large field we crossed has beei down for 37 yeara and was in really extra tent, tiic sola and feed being phenomenal, notwithstanding ths heavy stocking it was subjected to. There is a cheere factory here and milk is supplied from 450 cows by

the six families of Hamil or.s lssiding on t!r; flats. Last jear dose on 100 tons cf chea.e was rmda and (his cu'put will be co.nsiderabl, increased during the present eeafon. The quality n again superior, a higher percentage cf firat grade being supplied to Auckland markets than from any other cheese factory in the province. Mr W. Hamilton informed me that .'cms excellent records had been obtained on several of the farmi. fie had run 18 cow a on 34 acres fur the scaso'i and had avetaged £l7 a cow, rnd the same fi Id was earning 20 cows this season. This should be sufficient to show what the 1 ar.d will do. On the hi<h lar.d shecp-tarming is conducted and a good wool clip is always certiin. A call if. at the facto T y found the manager and hi 3 arsistant busy breaking up the curd in connection with the chejse-making operations, a large steam e-gine was doing the heating Required and driving the necessary machinery.

From tbe factory across the fiats for about h:ilf-a-ir.ils tbe road is in a very curious rtste, and I again corgratulited mysvlf that I was o:i horseback. Owing to the swinging movement of the c-.taimraris in vLich yll milk is carted, holts ha«e gradually b-.en gouged cut by the front runners, atd now the whole roadway ia like a miniature, switchback railway. The hollows were about four feet deep and the average distance from ridg? to rir'ge waa probably twelve feet. This continued all across the flats. Most of the holes were filHd with water and the unknown depth of many of the:e was a continued source of annoy a ice to the council or, and it took no little skill on his part to keep the sulky adjusted properly. One second tha horse would be pulling furiously lip an incline, next second the shafts would be far past his nosa and plop the whe;li would go into a water hole. Fortunately the breeching and traces were string and the ekill ani rasourcc-fullnes3 of the driver considerable; ard if the gyrations were not graceful they were certainly amusing to ma as an onlooker. Fortunately it all enc 7 ed eaftly, though a drain at the last gateway caused a very close call lo mishap. Across the flats we met Mr Robert Hamilton, wfcose homestead lies near by. An invitatiun t) lunch again showed the unfailing hospitality of Awhitu folk, Inside the house an opportunity was given ,to inspect a number of oil paintings, the work of one of Mr Hamilton's daughters, who has a remarkable gift in this line and has turned out some very skilful work,

Before climting cn to the high land the farm ard buildings cf Mr T. H. Tir.dall are pissed, another choice place possessing many acres of rich swamp land. The climb from the flats ia nut a severe one, ar.d after a few miles wa are back to tha Pehiakura estate, aft' r having had a rn. st delightful and interesting trip.