JOYS OF MOUNTAINEERING.

Shannon News, 31 July 1928, Page 2

JOYS OF MOUNTAINEERING.

VARIED ATTRACTIONS OF OUTDOOR LIFE IN NEW ZEALAND.

LECTURE BY PRESIDENT OF TAR ARUA TRAMPING CLUB.

A very interesting and well illustrated lecture was given before a good attendance in the Century Hall, Levin, on Friday evening by Mr F. W. Vosseler, president of the Tararua Tramping Club, who had come from Wellington for this purpose at the request, of the Levin branch of the W.E.A. The subject of the lecture was “Mountaineering and Outdoor Sports in New Zoaand,” and it was divided into three sections, dealing respectively with the life of the ranges, whaling in Cook Strait, and travel on the Wanganui river. With a well illuminated lantern hundreds of views were shown, ayd thev were as varied as they were beautiful. Mr W. G. ; Bishop, president of the W.E.A. branch, presided and suitably introduced the lecturer. ‘ A TOURISTS’ PARADISE.

In his introductory remarks, Mr seler said that few New Zealanders rea-" Used what an extraordinary country they lived in, how charming and diversified was its scenery. Within 24 hours of travel one could be at the ML Cook Hermitage and within reach of alpine scenery which was unexcelled anywhere in the'world unless in the Himalayas — and even that was open to question. In a few hours from Levin one could visit the Wanganui river, view wonderful scenery and see the Maoris in as'primitive a condition as they were to be found anywhere in the Dominion. Seven or eights hours’ journey from Wellington was the Toiigmriro National Park, where thermal features and an active volcano were to be encountered. In the district in which Levin was situated, mountain climbing was to be had, with the reward of seeing marvellous flora. Travelling away in another direction one came to the West Coast Sounds, which were unequalled on the globe. With respect to sporting interests, there were,, wild cattle, pigs and deer at a few hours’ distance from Levin, and the trout-fishing in the district was of the best. As for deep-sea fishing, in Cook Strait the sportsman could take part in whalecatching if he wished. In deep-sea fishing with the rod, he believed that world’s records had been broken time and again in New Zealand waters.. It was the duty of the inhabitants to. see as much of their country as possible. There was no spot on earth where one could get the same variety of beauty i and outdoor sport, and no place hi the world where it was so accessible. TRAMPERS’ HAUNTS.-IN THE TAEARUAS. The slides admirably depicted 5 the mountain features, firstly, of the Tararuas, and a number of them graphically portrayed bird life. One picture, -Mr Vosseler remarked, showed thatmountaineering was not wholly a young man’s .sport, as the two men shown on the screen were between 60 and 70 years of age and. had crossed the range from. Otaki to Kaitoke several times. Several artistic photos were projected of native flowers from the- Tararua range, these including the edelweiss, celmisia and gentian, and the blossoms of the hinau tree. The lecturer said that the top of the range at certain seasons of the year was absolutely a garden and one could not cross without treading on flowers. The coming into being of the Field Hut, ou the slopes of Mt. Hector, was shown, slides illustrating the work of the builders, Messrs Gibbs and Fisk, who cut the timber ou the spot, using a pit-saw. Corrugated iron had had to be carried up, and the inside of the hut Avas finished off with ruberoid and wire-netting. The result of the job was a comfortable twostoreyed structure, capable of holding 30 or 40 people. The money for its erection had been provided by the Tararua Tramping Club and some of its supporters, aided by the Government subsidy. Mr Vosseler stated that the huts on the Tararuas were there for anyone who cared to use them, but the Club asked that those doing.so would leave the huts as clean as they found them, replace any firewood burned, and advise the Club of any stores used, so that they be replaced. BIRD LIFE. Bird pictures presented included the long-tailed cuckoo, the short tailed cuckoo, the saddle-back, the liuia, the parrakeet and the kiwi. The lecturer stated that, the Maoris were at one time very fond of wearing long tail feathers of the cuckoos in their hats. The photo of a pair of huias had been given to him by the Tourist Department. He was still curious to know whether the liuia was really extinct. On two occasions he had seen a strange bird which might have been a huia, but had only glimpsed it going between the trees; it was larger than a tui, but /night have been a crow. The kiwis were not known to be in the Tararuas now; but Mr Carkeek, an early surveyor, caught a little grey kiwi in the vicinity of ML Hector. They were to be found in the National Park and in the Wanganui district.

MOUNT HECTOR. Various scenes were shown of. the mountain country in the Hector locality, both with and without a suow covering, and much interest attached to the views -of trampers using skis and snow-shoes. Mr Yosseler stated that for climbing Hector in the lattei'. part of "an average winter it was advisable to carry an ice axe, for use in cutting steps' and also for support, at the higher altitudes. On skis one could travel at. a great speed where the country was suitable, and he had heard of 40 miles an hour being accomplished. He had been the first to use skis on Mt. Hector, and as the snow was very hard at the time they bolted with him. In learning to ski it was important not to be nervous and not to hang back; the body should be bent forward, as otherwise the skis would shoot up in front and the skier would, come a cropper. The effect on the skin of a good rub along hard enow was something like that of being sand-papered. Some people like to learn with the aid. of

two sticks, one in each hand, for support; but it was preferable to learn without this aid. Views from the eastern side of the range included photos of the old Alpha Hut and the new one, a hut on the Tauherenikau river bank, two bivouacs oi\ Mt. Marchant, which is on the Kaitoke route, and a hut at the junction of the Tauherenikau River and Smith's Creek. The lecturer stated that at the old Alpha Hut it had been a common experience to have to dig a way in through the snow, but it had been possible to make oneself really comfortable there. The hut on tell Tauherenikau was falling into disrepair, because the Woodside route was not used so much as formerly, most travellers from that side ascending from Kaitoke. THE NATIONAL PARK. Mr Yosseler proceeded to give a description of the principal sights of the Tongariro National Park, of which some excellent slides were shown. Regarding a certain spring, he said that he and a companion had dived into it, and the only colder water he knew of was on Mt. Cook. Some very fine views of Mt. Ngaurulioe in various stages of eruption were shown. One of the most striking of these displayed the volcano with an immense pillar of smoke surmounting it and a,mass of snow mantling one side of the cone. The lecturer stated that he had .stood on top of Ngauruhoe when it was in eruption. The sensation was peculiar, as though one were in some great, vibrating machine, which caused him to tremble from head to toe. When the party had descended below the summit a little, they found that their faces were quite yellow with sulphur. On another occasion when lie was on top with a party during an eruption, one man was taken seriously ill and had to be hurried to the lower levels. Photos were reproduced of skiing aud glissading in National Park, and of a climber wearing snow-goggles and with his face plastered with zinc ointment to protect the skin. “If any of you are thinking of glissading,”, said Mr Vosseler, “I would advise you to take a frying pan or a piece of Old sack, because it is very wearing on the nap.” A series of views of the Wanganui river was followed by photos from the Southern Alps, and at the conclusion of the lecture, which was followed with keen interest, a very hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr Vosseler for his entertaining and instructive lee-, ture, on the motion.of Mr J. Logan, sec-, retary of the Waiopehu Club. ■ .The Chairman expressed the thanks of* the gathering to Mr Blackburn for having operated the lantern.