YOUR CLUB AND MINE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 118, 9 August 1927, Page 7

YOUR CLUB AND MINE

AN OPEN PAGE

Each Tuesday afternoon a corner will be reserved for original contributions of general interest to womenfolk. The subject matter is for you to choose—whatever topic interests you may also be of interest or amusement to others, whether it be about your hobbies, experiences, or merely amusing musings about the ordinary round of the day. A book prize is offered weekly for the best effort, which should be brief, plainly written, and sent to “Your Club and Mine,” THE SUN, Auckland. The prize goes to Miss M. HuttonWhitelaw this week her article on Lake Waiatarua. LAKE WAIATARUA Lake Waiatarua—or as it is better known, Lawe St. John —in Remuera, is of peculiar interest. At one time in the remote past—some thousands of years ago, as Maungarei (Mt. Wellington) is one of our oldest volcanic peaks (Rangitoto. the youngest being about 3,000 years) a long valley extended from the crest by St. John’s College, past Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) to the Manukau Harbour, where was the outflow of a small stream. When Maungarei erupted, the lava seems to have flowed in a westerly direction, and a barrier was thrown across the gully, this lava flow now being Ladies’ Mile. Consequently, the former valley,, being a catchment area, now became a lake, and the low-lying land surrounding it turned into a swamp. Doubtless some of the old residents will remember the now beautiful Ellerslie Racecourse as a swamp. Lake Waiatarua is very shallow—it is commonly believed among the juvenile fraternity that this lake is “bottomless,” but that is a fallacy; it is not more than sft. in the deepest part, while if the surface is ruffled by the -wind, mudbanks may be observed. Although the lake is in a depression, it is open to the winds, and consequently it is not a breeding-ground for mosquitoes, for the female alw r ays seeks still water in which to lay her eggs. If ever any larvae do appear, they are quickly devoured by the ells and catfish. It is evident that at one time the site of the lake wias that of a forest, for one may observe signs of treetrunks on the muddy bottom. Also, the whole area around the lake consists of peat, and it shows that once the whole place was covered with forest. A couple of years ago, some enterprising individual got several cartloads of old trunks —branches from the swampy ground and sides of the lake —which also bears out the foregoing statement. In the summer, it is quite a usual thing to see the low-lying area surrounding the lake, smouldering. At this time the appearance of the soil resembles a reddish clay, with largo tussocks of charred grass, and where there is no smoke, seemingly quite firm; but plunge a stick into it, and the ground immediately gives way, baring a red-hot powdered clay to a depth of some 2ft. Once, when I was pointing out a piece of ground that had been on fire, some time back, to some friends, and observing a peculiar white clay formation, we decided to obtain a piece. I stepped on to a seemingly firm tussock, which collapsed, and if I had not been grabbed quickly, would have sunk into about 2ft. of red-hot powered peat! We then tested some of the surrounding ground, and by a simple procedure of throwing lumps of clay, we discovered that most of the ground was hot powdered ember covered with loose earth. Another time, my brother, not knowing the nature of the ground, slipped into a hole of about 12in., the heat burning his foot rather badly, although he had on thick boots. Abbott’s Way, a metalled road, rqns across the eastern edge of this reclaimed swamp; on the side opposite the lake is a large clump of scrub; in the summer of 1925, the peat had been burning strongly for about four months, When without warning, the whole of this patch one afternoon, shot up like a roaring furness. I have often found the road quite uncomfortable to walk over at this time of the year, owing to the burning peat beneath it. Regarding the scrub, the fire, having evidently exhausted itself on the lake side, crossed underneath the road, came to the surface, set fire to the withered grass there, and then reached the big scrub. There were two houses in close proximity—one right beside it, and the other just across Marua Road, and surrounded by gorse. To save the former house, it was necessary to start two contrary fires, while in the second case the gorse was quickly beaten out every time a spark set it alight. If one travels along Abbott’s Way in winter, and approaches the rise on the east side of the lake, one is struck by a miniature lake bounded by a stone wall. This was caused by a peat fire which burnt to a depth of some 4ft., the ground falling in on the advent of the heavy rains in the following winter. Although the surface of the lowlying area on the Remuera side of the lake is drained with the aid of canals, the ground becomes a veritable swamp each winter, owing to the undermining of the surface by the fires. I have been told that these peat fires often burn down to a depth of 15ft., and that they never wholly die out—which would destroy the theory that they begin afresh each summer through spontaneous combustion. —M. HUTTON-WHITELAW.

While there is little fur on day coats, evening wraps are still lavishly trimmed with it. One gold brocade coat was trimmed with dark fur, the ends of which were heavily gilded to match the brocade in colour.

A TEA PARTY Mrs. Bernard Wood of Christchurch was the guest of honour at a delightful little tea party given this afternoon in the Lyceum Club by Miss A. R. Quayle. Miss Quayle’s guests included Mrs. Wood, Mrs. McCaw, Mrs. Gunn. Mrs. Macky, Mrs. Cameron, Mrs. Archer Clive, Mrs. Churton, Mrs. R. G. Coats. Dr. Mildred Staley, Miss Coleman, and Mrs. P. S. Crisp.