UP THE MOUNTAIN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 27, 15 January 1912, Page 8

UP THE MOUNTAIN.

SOME HOLIDAY EXPERIENCES ON EOMONT’S SLOPES. (By a Visitor.) Leaving Stratford at half-past two on Tuesday afternoon we presently turn off the main street and pick our way along the road leading to tho Egmont Reserve and Stratford Mountain House. The six-mile stretch of road before entering tho reserve is rather rough' in parts, with an abundance of loose stones lying about, and the continual though well-graded uphill climb makes cycling anything but easy, even with a somewhat favourable wind. Once into the reserve tire metal ends, the track is soft in parts, the grade becomes steeper, and cycling is practically out of the question. For a mountain track, however, the going is really very easy, and for horseback riding all that could be desired. The burnt belt once oassed, one enters a stretch of beautiful heavy hush, huge rimus four to six feet in ' diameter dotting the path on either side. Some time was spent taking photographs of one or two of the giant rimus. As we ascend the bush, gets lighter and slightly nxosscovcrcd, till at the end of some three miles of bush track wo come suddenly on a gate and a small clearing in which stand tho accommodation house and tho caretaker’s cottage. The house is roomy and a veil built, with verandah round three sides, and contains a largo dining room and sleepbag rooms for men and women. Mr and Mrs Christenson, the care-

takers, are at the door of their cottage to laid aas welcome, and - soon a •up of hot tea and a square meal ro‘res.li and set us up after cur some ij- hours’ exertion. A short chat aftar tea and presently the darkness fathers and we retire to our hunks or a good night’s sleep and rest. Daylight wakes us up about halfoast four' On Wednesday morning, and flipping into our clothes wo find our vay to;the crow’s nest, a platform on he top of some trees some two. or throe minutes’ walk further up the •idge, to view our surroundings. The corning is somewhat cloudy and hazy, icnvever, and the mountain shrouded u mist, so, ns no object would he rained in' walking further afield, we -oturn to our hunks for another hour’s post.- Breakfast soon after seveu, ,!vnd after some explanation of pur. sur--I'oundingk from t,he caretaker, wo set, iff for a ramble with tho intention of naking our way round to Dawson Falls, ‘ some 3) miles distant. But first wo pay another visit to -he crow’s nest. Trailing clouds are missing over the mountain, occasiondly leaving it clear for a moment or wo, but not sufficient for a good ihotograph. The .horizon is still lazy, but down /in -fthe valley the ownships - and homesteads are clearly nsiblej 11 Stratford in its peaceful valey in the centre, to the left Midhirst, Waipuku, and just a glimpse of Inglewood, and to the right Eltham can io madjj| out.i' Continuing our walk up tho ridge dong a rather indistinct and evidently ’.ot-much-used track, we come to a '•mall [clearing, with tent poles and legs still standing. We discover a •Jack on the edge of the clearing still ending up the ridge, and follow it for ;ome distance; but it gradually disappears into tho dense bush, and we deide to return to the camp site. Anther look round and we come on a rack bearing off downwards to the ight by following which we find ourselves on the proper track to the nountain, and Dawson Falls just by flie crooked bridge. The track, a

‘airly good one only water runs in daces, meanders through beautiful insli, gradually getting scrubby and noss-covered as our elevation increases, till finally we reach the gate into he clearing—tho old site of Stratford House, some mile and a half distant 'Tom its present position. We are ■ightfont in tho open scrub now, and ho view all round is superb. Near die centre of tho clear space stands our square to the winds—the sturdy : vater-tank stand, the tank itself also !n view a little way into the edge of tho semb.

There are no finger-posts to point the way, but a little careful survey liscovers the road to the mountain and Inglewood House loading through another gate on the left hand side of the clearing; and branching off to the southward just outside the gate first reached is the track leading to Hawson Falls, some two miles distant. Following the track we presently cross a ridge from which an altogether new view opens out before us. The sea is now plainly visible to the south, Eltham nestling in its cosy valley. Kaponga a little to the right, and Hawera in the far distance can ho clearly made out, and about half-way down the hush the roofs of the Falls houses can be clearly seen. From this ridge the track winds through several gullies, keeping a geneial downward trend and crossing, a little over half-way to the Falls house, the Kapuni stream on which at some distance down are the Dawson Foils. Just before crossing this stream is i path branching off to the right leading to Wilkie’s Pools—beautiful blue basins formed in the rock where the water leaps from ridge to ndge d. -un the rapids. On crossing the stream we ('liter dense bush which continues till finally we emerge at the Falls accommodation houses. (To ho continued.)