A TRIP TO THE PAREOKA RIVER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2483, 5 March 1881, Page 2

A TRIP TO THE PAREOKA RIVER.

Shortly after nine o’clock yesterday morning two express vans and a buggy left the municipal buildings, the vans being freighted with bis Worship the Mayor and borough councillors (or the majority of them at least), two or three other Timaru residents, Mr Dobson (waterworks engineer), and a couple of members of the Fourth Estate. The object of the trip was to inspect the waterworks and the improvements introduced by Messrs Dobson, the engineers, and also to enable the

Mayor and Council to formally take over from the contractors such portions of the work as are completed. The buggy contained Cr Gibson and Mr Meikle, of the Grosvenor Hotel. The weather was glorious—plenty of sunshine, without too much heat, as two or three of the councillors remarked. Unfortunately it did not continue uniformly cool throughout the day, but by noon was unmistakably warm. The route was via Saltwater Creek and Kingsdown. On reaching the Pareora road a fine view of Mount Cook was obtained, the atmosphere being unusually clear. Arrived at Mr Jeffcoate’s place the road to the right of his paddock gate was taken, leading up amongst the ranges. And now the trouble commenced, as Mark Twain would say. From this point to the destination the journey resembled a sea voyage more than anything else, while the fact, of two captains being aboard one of the vans aided the illusion. The road very quickly degenerated into a mere track, inches deep in dust, which enveloped the vans in a perpetual cloud, and plentifully strewn with boulders and small stones, which caused the vehicles to jump and spring about in the most uncomfortable way. Goodbye to the chat that had beguiled the journey so far. One was a great deal too intent in holding on to the buggy and looking put for squalls generally to do much in the talking line. And if you did open yonr mouth to speak the chances were that before you could finish your remark you would be involuntarily embracing your vis-a-vis, the words being literally jerked out of your mouth. The first time of crossing the river one of the vans got over in safety, but the other stopped short some distance from the bank and the passengers had to climb out on to the stones and get ashore that way. Fortunately, however, the water was but shallow. At the second crossing (the river being much wider here) the same horses stopped again when they reached mid-stream, and the steeds belonging to the other van had to be unharnessed and one of them attached to the van in the river before it could be got out. One passenger got out during the stoppage and walked across, while two or three others were carried over on horseback. After all these adventures all hands were not sorry to dismount and walk across the tussocks toadeserted shanty, when a halt was called, and sundry bottles being produced, containing some capital whiskey, &c., a nip round, with a biscuit and cheese, was found very acceptable. A a walk of about half a mile brought the travellers to the dam, formed of a solid wall of concrete, and which has been considerably heightened and otherwise improved by the engineers, Messrs Dobson and Son. This dam is about 130 feet across, and behind it are between fifteen and sixteen feet of water, so beautifully clear that the pebbles may be counted at the bottom. Formerly the shingle washed down into the dam and threatened to choke it up. This difficulty has now been obviated, thanks to the ingenuity of Messrs Dobson who have surmounted the dam wall with a thick iron perforated pipe, which will always allow the flow of water, and, in the event of shingle accumulating, will act as a sort of filter. The normal quantity of water flowing through the race will be 1,700,000, gallons, but, if necessary, this quantity can be increased to five or six million gallons. The original dam cost about £3OOO, and the improvements effected by Messrs Dobson have cost £950 additional. Great satisfaction was expressed with the work, and also with the excellent quality of the water. It looked so temptingly cool in the dam that two or three of the party availed themselves of the opportunity for a swim. And now the shanty was revisited, and after a brief interval for refresh-

ments a fresh start made, it being the intention of the engineer to visit several portions of the race. But the troubles of the party were not yet over. The first time the river was re-crossed the horses, evidently mindful of their former behaviour, came to a stop again, and the old bother recommenced. The driver flogged and yelled, various inemhcrs of the party hi-hied ! —the horses were im movable. After this all hands were glad (O avail themselves of the offer of a passing waggoner to ferry them oyer the next crossing. Soon after this the parly got out and essayed to cross the river by means of a row of very shiny and slippery stones, and to those two or three who got to the opposite bank first, and watched the long line of councillors slipping and sliding in all kinds of postures over the stones, the sight was not a little amusing. Having reached terra firma, and inspected the the race, the party next proceeded to inspect Fraser’s and Whittaker’s tunnels, and then after some rough walking across country the reservoir was reached, and this having been duly inspected a start was made for home, nothing of much consequence occurring on the trip, with the exception that the drivers of the vans seemed to become rather excited towards the close of the day, and at one point on the homeward journey one of the expresses nearly ran into the other. One of the vans also broke a spring coming back, but this was remedied by means of a handy bit of rope provided by the foresight by somebody. Timaru was reached at 7 o’clock after a day by no means uneventful or devoid of interest.