THE GIANT KAURI -PINE AT TARARU CREEK.
Probably nearly everyone round about Auckland knows that a kauri-pine about 35 feet in circumference stands on the left bank of Tararu Creek, five miles distant (via the Waiotahi Road) from Shortland, Thames. Bufc Ido nob suppose that more than one-third of those who have heard" about it have seen it except on photographs and other pictuies. Early in the Christmas holidays, January 1884, I in company vribh my cousin went to see what it was like. We started at about half past nine in the morning, before the sun had its full power. This was an advantage to us, as it gave us a good chance to get out of the dusty roads before the sun got very hot. We walked briskly enough till we came to the starting point of the Waiotahi Road, but as the sun began to get oppressively hot we only sauntered along slowly. There is another way, by far the pleasantest, but the longer, and ono where anybody by themselves are more Jikely to get lost. It goes along by the beach at Tararu, and then by the creek and through the bush to the kauri tree. It goes through the bush nearly all the way, which shuts out the sun's rays and keeps it cool and pleasant in the hottest weather. Along the track ferns and native plants and trees 'of every description grow in abundance. The Waiotahi Road is known by that name because of a very small creek of that name which runs alon"g it for about two milesIt is so small that you can easily jump across it at any part of its course. The road in some places is cut through a sort of shallow gorge between hills, and in other places runs along the side of a hill in the torm of a ledge. It is so irregular because it winds gradually uptho Coromandel ranges which are at t.he highest elevation about 1000 feet above sea level. When you get about 600 feet above the sea you can look down on the Thames, the sea, and the rivers Thame?, Piako, and Kauaeranga, as well as many small creeks, etc. We saurtered slowly along, as the heat was terrible, but slow as we were walking, |we were obliged to sit down every few minutes and rest ; thus it took us about an hour to go a mile. About a mile up the road we passed the Moanatairi Mine, which together with a few houses is perched up », a cliff about forty feet high. Lately, & man at this mine was hauling something from the road beneath on to the tramway which runs along the cliff, when he missed his footing, going headlong down the cliff on to the road. He was not very severely injured, but as he was old, and got a sever* shaking, he was not expected to liveJust as we got out of sight of the mine* we saw a man coming along some shorto distance behind us ; so we sat down on a I stone and waited till he came up. My cousin got up and asked him the way to she "kauri tree." He replied, "Keep to the road as far as it goes, but at that rate it will take you all night to get there! 1*"1 *" But as the grade of the road was steep, and the sun's heat was very great, we could nob hurry any faster j we thought that if we did not see it, we would be able to see what the Coromandel Ranges were like. When about a mile and a half from where we met the man the road turns suddenly up from the channel of the Waiotahi Creek, up a small spur of the ranges on to a small ledge cut for it about forty feef up the side. A little way past this is a heap of small quartz rubbish, etc.* which has been shot out from an old drive by the side of the road. Just at this point wo were talking together, so that we did not notice the sudden ascent of the road, but kept on a small track till we came to the heap of quartz where the little valley stopped. There were some little boys playing about, and as we wera shut in on three sides, my cousin asked them the way. They pointed up the quartz embankment, which was the shortest cut. We could fee that it was like scoria, bub we walked up the front. When near the top my foot slipped, and I rolled right down the embankment, while my dinner, which was rolled up in a cloth, bounded to the bottom. I made a clutch at a tuft of grass, which stopped me. My cousin got my dinner, and we went on. We now entered the bush, which sheltered as nicely from - the sun. We walked for about an hour in the shade before we could see something like the kauri tree through the trees. We cub straight across a little track and soon found ourselves in front of it. Its dimensions are about 35 feet circumference, height to branches 40 feet. It must: be ove a century old. It escaped fire in the last drought, January 1887, by the borough council clearing the bush away 40 feet on each side. * ; Arizona.
Grey's Settlement \ Bill. — Sir George Grey has been doing his best to promote his Land Settlement, Bill/ which has been altered in several respects. Power is now given to advance to the settler money for the purchase of his holding, agricultural implements, etc. The whole amount is capitalised and he is charged five per cent, upon it until he chooses to pay it off.
GARLICK & CRANWELL ate selling Furniture and Carpets very cheap. Iron Bedsteads and Spring Mattresses at greatlyreduced prices. Bedding of all kinds ready ,for delivery. Oil cloths from Is. square -yard. Linoleum from 2s 3d. Blankets, sheets, quilts, curtains, and all furnisbipg goods -splendid value. "Wire Wave Mattresses much cheaper than thGy'Wsed to be. A' strong Iron Bedstead and Wire Wove Mattress for 55s cash. Simple Iron Bed.rtead and Wire Wove Mattrea? for 38s. c^sh ,>rice. Our goods ate carefully, packed, every attention paid to prevent damage by transit. Buy All yourhrtusehold goods tt6m OARLICK and .^CKANSVEBL; ' -Cafcl&tmakers, Auckland. ' "I
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Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 234, 24 December 1887, Page 1
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1,066THE GIANT KAURI-PINE AT TARARU CREEK. Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 234, 24 December 1887, Page 1
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