CANOEING ON THE WAIHOU.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 39, 1 March 1884, Page 2

CANOEING ON THE WAIHOU.

We referred in om 1 last issue 'to a voyage made on the river by some members of Auckland Hob Hoy Canoe Club, and we now give a brief account of their trip from particulars furnished to us by one of the party. They left; ' Auckland by the liotomahana on Friday, the 15th February, at 4 p.m., arriving 1 at the Thames the same evening. {Started up river next morning at 7 with the title, each man paddling his own canoe, jmk! reached Hikutaia at 11 a.m There reFreshed the inner-man, after which took to the water again and made the Junction at 4. Paddled on some miles Further, and camped for the night after poing full forty miles since starting in the morning. Turned in and tried to get '* forty winks of the balmy," but all in vain. Met with with an enemy who disputed th^ir right to be on terra jirma at all, and after fierce conflict and much bloodshed were fairly driven oil the field by that must wicked of its tribe — the Waihou mosquito. Beat a hasty retreat to their canoes and pad iled on through the remainder of the night, reaching Te Aroha at mid-day on Sunday, having done the entire distance from tShorlland without a wink of sleep. The fame of our hot spring? having previously reached their ear?, they knt no time in ropuiriiu thither to lave their wearied limbs in their pellucid water-* and soon felt themselves " like giants refreshed." On Monday they ascended tho mountain to its Mim.uit, vi-ite,d ttie mines an I battery under the guidance of Mr 11. G. Macky, and were greatly pleased with what they saw. But canoeists ?ve not supposed to tarry on land. On Tuesday, therefore, they again betook themselves to their favourite element, and made good pi ogress up to the rap aids where one of the party in pulling hard against the stream had the misfortune to break his paddock. This placed t.iem in a most awkward dilemna a? they had not provided themselves with a spare one, but luckily at this moment Mr Iloc.ie.'s steam launch Erin iove in sight and tnok them in tow. But another mi-advenf ure awaited them. Tiis system of navigation scarcely -'lited f>"ir frail eraf*", and two of them were almost dragged under water. They vvere therefore taken on board the steamer and kindly conveyed a few mile* m their journey. The current lmwny .iow io.st some of its strength, and damage having bee.n repaired, they again betook themselves to their ea oes, an<l after camping out for the ni^ut re.icluj I Matamata at 8 o'clock next morning. Tuey spdnb the day in looking over Mr Pj th's estate and saw the trietion engine at work taxing down a load of thirteen tons for shipment at the rive-r. Had excellent accommodation at Mr Fiopkin's. and started on the homeward trip next morning, but on reaching tne Stanley Landing found such a violent gale blowing that they were glad to take refuge in Mr Firth's iron store. There they found Mr survey party, who had also wwu driven there for s iel tor their tents h wing Uvu blown down during the ni^ht. After dinner a steam launch came up w tli a boat in tow, Mr Firth, jun , kindly offering the u a passage (lowa as soon as the cargo was discharged. The/ set to wor.v, along with the survey party, as it' they were '" to the manner born," and quickly cleared the vessel's hold. Hieintr then on board they were com fortibh (though for eanovii^ts rather iu^lonously) eavricvl down the river in a barge, arriving again at Te Aroiia sit (1.30 p.m on Thursday. Homeward bound they loft here the following day, and as no news of any casualties* has reached us, we assume they j>-ot sifoly back to Auckland, and are now regaling the ears and exciting the envy of their brothani of the club with the details of their adventurous voyage. It may be worth mentioning that one of their boats was construcle I of canvas, was "20 feet in length with 20 inches beam, and weighed o\\\y 20 lbs. On this Frail craft the snags told rather disastrously, but. the ingenuity of the excursionists was equal to all emergencies and they succeeded in keeping her, by muatw not known to the inexperienced, in good serviceable condition throughout the trip.' The others bei<i,iy built of wood carried their occupants through the voyaije without mishap. Since the foregoing was written news of their safe arrival in the waters of the Waitemata has been received from- one of the .party. The only exciting event after leaving Tv Aroha was the capsizing of one of the canoes near Grahamstown wharf, but no fatal consequences resulted therefrom.