SNOW PLOUGH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 242, 2 June 1932, Page 2

SNOW PLOUGH

'' LIBERATING THOUSANDS OF SNOW-BOUND SHEEP. WORK IN MACKENZIE COUNTRY A grim baclcground to the gaiety of the ski-ing party. at Tekapo, between Timaru and the Mount Cook Hermitage, last we'ek-end, was the tragedy of thousands of sheep buried in the snow. "We like to see you enjoying yourself," said the wife of a Mackenzie Country station owner to a member of the party, "for when we station folk go ski-ing, it is to seek out snow-bound sheep." A well known Tekapo resident said that "every man in the Mackenzie Country would he out snow raking and making tracks through the snow, in order to liberats scattered groups of sheep that have been isolated by last week's blizzard." During the last few days good work has been done by the Mackenzie Council rnen, particularly Messrs. Adamson and Wills, who operate the snow plough, states the Christchurch Times. These men left their camp at Irishman Creek as soon as the weather broke on Tuesday last, and drove their lorries through the snow to Tekapo, where the snow plough is housed. Leaving Tekapo on Wednesday morning in a heavy snow storm, they cleared the main highway down to the old "Sawdon" station holmestead (125 miles). Visibility was so bad that they left the plough on the rpadside, and walked down .to Burke's Pass Hotel, 15 miles, which they reached at 10.30 p.m. Making an early start on Thursday morning, they returned to Tekapo, straighteiiing and widening the track as they went along. Leaving Tekapo at dayhreak, they set out to clear the road to ^'Glenmore" ahd "Godley Peaks" stations; 13 miles, where several thousand sheep were "waiting to he hrought down country. Returning. to Tekapo at dusk, they refuelled and set out for "Lillybank" and "Richmond!' station road (28 miles), Teaching Mpunt Hay station at 10 p.m. An early start on Saturday saw the "Lilybank" station boundary cleared early in the afternoon, and the snow plough returned to Tekapo at 3- a.ni. on Sunday. After greasing aiid re-

fuelling, the men started at 4 a.m. for the Braemar Road, which was cleared of snow before sunset. In four days, with a eaterpillar tractor and niodern snow plough, they cleared 73 miles of road, during which time they covered 150 miles. At the different stations thousands of she'ep were ready to be brought down country wheil the snow fell, and thanks to the efficient work of the snow plough gang they were soon oii their way dowii to pastures new. Messrs. Adamson and Wills are loud in their appreciation of the hospitality they received from station owners en route, without which they could iiot have earried on. With the modern snow plough, efficiently manned, and the work organised from the head office as at present, the roads in the Tekapo Riding will neveiv be blocked again -with snow, and a serious bogey to the station owner is removed.