INTO THE UREWERA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 622, 26 March 1929, Page 11

INTO THE UREWERA

ENGLISH TOURIST ROUGHS IT

DAUGHTER STICKS PIGS

"Off the beaten track,” ia the

slogan of Mr- Charles ap Roger, an English tourist who Is paying his third visit to the Dominion and is at present in Auckland. \ CCOMPANIED by his daughter. -"■ w tjo is IS years of age, Mr. ap Roger has fished the North and South Islands, fought with the battling mako sharks of the Bay of Islands and hunted the wild boar in the depths of the untrodden Urewera country. Miss ap Roger, who is possesed of greater courage than most of her sex, has crawled into thickets, there to administer the knife blow that spells death to the fierce tuskers. Mr. ap Roger told a Sun man something of his experiences this morning. He has just returned from a 10-day trip to the Urewera. “We left from Galatea,” he said, “and went into the bush between Minginul and Heruiwi. We had eight horses, six dogs and guides, together with an old friend of mine and his daughter, who acted as cook.” They had to cut a path through the dense bush to get the packhorses through and in some places banks had to be cut through. They established a base camp where the tents were erected and from there they plunged into the bush around them, returning to the camp after an absenca of one or two days. They caught two big boars, the heads of which are being mounted and will be exhibited in England as examples of the sporting delights of New Zealand. Miss ap Roger crawled into the scrub to stick the pigs when the dogs bailed them up. “On one occasion the dogs bailed up a wild bull,” said Mr. ap Roger. "I weigh 16 stone, hut when the bull charged I was up a tree as quickly as my daughter. I kept wondering how strong the tree was, however.” The Urewera was wonderful country, he said, the variety of trees and the unspoiled beauty making it one of the greatest attractions in the world for lovers of nature. Mr. ap Roger and his daughter have been in New Zealand since February, 1928, and have covered both islands thoroughly, travelling in the caravan style with tents and a motor-truck, which he maintains is the proper way to travel. Miss ap Roger caught a fine swordfish at Russell— 37llb—and her father landed a black marlin weighing 3911 b. ' "New Zealand will soon have a wonderful road system," said Mr. ap Roger, “and in my opinion it will be better than any country in Europe. Also, I must say something about New Zealand service car drivers. They are the most efficient, well-informed, safe and cheerful fellows I know. They are wonderful anu it is a pleasure to travel with them at any time.” It is Mr. ap Roger’s intention to return to New Zealand within two years with his other daughter, who is now in England. This is his third visit to the Dominion. He was here in 1899 and again in 1907.