NAPIER TO TAUPO IN 1872

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 163, 11 March 1955, Page 1

NAPIER TO TAUPO IN 1872

i'Bishop Williams' First Visit In his book "Th rough Niriety pYears," compieted when he was 84 lyears of age, Ihe late Mr Fred W. Mfiliiams, well known to elder resiIflents of Taupo as a frequent visii'lor to the district, gives some |;Mercsting notes 011 a journey from ipapier to Taupo macle by his grandnther, Bishop William Williams, in 1187 2 . m In his journey Bishop Williams Mrecorded that leaving home at 5.15 jpLin. on February 27 he arrived at liPort Ahuriri and after some clelay Btartecl tiience at .7 a.m., had coffee iit Petane, and reached Pohue about §12.30 p.m. After clinner the coac.h Hfoveon "to an open place four miles ifarther on, where the coach stopI'pexl, - and I rode on with the mailfuian and packhorse . . . Came to a Kative village at the river Wai punga put could not stay as it was towards Minset." m It was dark when the Bishop jpeachcd Tarawera, where he found P room at the accomodation house and K after tea "went over to the stockjftcle and saw Major Scannell, with gCaptains Northcroft and Gascoigne rautd Mr Bold and had a chat with lithem." The names of the three gf&rmed Constabulary officers menKlioned are recalled by the three Ppaupo streets now named after Klhem. 1 At 7 a.m. next morning, February the Bishop set off again on liorseback with the Taupo mailman Stover a very rough ccuntry through Kftvest, where a number of parties Bgrere at work cutting down timber fe clear the telegraph iine." w'When they came to thc open, the IBishop records, they "saw Runanga (pa a hill about three miles off. Ijpound Captain Withers very civil. Kpere is a good reading roorn here Igrith papers and periodicals. Most Bef the men (i.e., Arrncd ConstabuK lary ) were away at. Tarawera. at Bpuskelry praclice. Frum this i jlacc we procecded in a light coacn Bjeiving at 12." ■ They were now ui open country ■pcry barren. ail pumice stone graRti, not having upon it more than Rwd inches of soil, which bears Klhitlsh tufty grass. Soon saw a f|Mgh hili (i.e., Tauhara Mountain) 11% the distance which is a short disKUsce from Tapuaeharuru (i.e.. the felite of the present town of Taupo)." R Coming to ihe Rangitaiki River gpey found a dray taking a load of B^spplies to Tapuaeharuru, and the IBishop comments that supplies for Ri&e A. C. Force ' are mrmed up Bfeacipally on packhorpes from Fe■P - ■tane as i'ar as Runanga, which is Bii enormous cnpense, and tiience Bey procccd by dray to Tapuaclia■pm. Thc cofcc • "y about 130 per tcn BSoon after erooSing the bridgo ■Erer the Rangitapu tlic coupling of flpe of the coacii spring^ broke, but ^■5 coach ma n lep.ured it m about Mii ihour and they were ablo to jjjjich Opape, "where there is a Ipcksmitii." After a good meal Kfe Bishop had about 15 Constabu - ■fry men present. at a scrvice. Bthir r oo m was tlv: iibrary whjch Rbd a considerable supply of novcls, gigo had a f c w u tui books Mick 'mm. Alison's "Hurepo." IMferhough the coach could liave been K»7tji on to Tapuachai urii.. it had 9p return to Runanga so the Bishop 'Upceeded on horsebac]: from Opcpo Ha .ihe foilowing afternoon, and on ■Wjjiing Tapuaeharuru was kindly Rfeved by Captain Morrison. The comments that "the Lakc ;fl|' a grand piece of water, an'1 ■reariro and Ruapehu at the furJ&r end are magiiiiicent objects,

but there is a total absence of trees and the land is clreary and barren." This impression, it may be notecl, would be emphasised by thc fact that at that time there was no manuka growing on the country near Taupo. On tlie following morning (March lst) the Bishop "walked before breakfast to the camp garden which is a piece of redeemed swamp and yields a good crop of vegetables. After breakfast I crossed Ihe river a by ferry to the native village, but many of thc people are away." The ferry was situated above the site of Ihe present Who.rf (thc point on the Taupo side having since tlien becn considerably eroded), thc boats crossing attachcd lo a cab c slung bctween two lall posts eiectcd vine on cilhcr side of tiic Outiet. 1 lie Kisliop held a scrvice in the eveiiing at which nearly all attended." Leaving on his reiurn on Maruh 2, the Bishop reached Opepc in tui'cc hours, and bei.ng asl\cd i o sfa,y to liold scrvice the next day, ounday, he clicl so. "The service was quiie cheerinn. thcv har.r a harnronium, and thcie were six o v scveii men wiio constitute ihe (dioir. Aircr ciinuer X wa dced out v.aln t'lei Ma im* ! t- r n 1 1 " 1 ! ) niu i ioo:e> 1 at Ihe | . , ( u-ravcs »d jime mcu i'uiied Py • o- d i s neoplc." On Manday, M arch 4, Major Scannell provided the Bishop witli good horse. one of the bwl walker s I havo ever laciden. He uira urovidcd wc with an escort. Left at 9 a.m. the distance being 25 miles lo Runanga wliicii I rcaeiicd at . noon." Ti'ie nc.rt movniiie the ;fiuhcy> \ held a '■ crwec t -o r somr. 'M.r.oi in n\ - \ in;r vu a- Iv b .ku/c g'oi: on .o Tarawera, whencc hc $taHed at 7 i a.m. on Il.nch '■ and ro otehe d t ne i i'rviy crownvi'v at .Povt -'ihtiiun > fore dark that ovening. o cudod a journuy !.ho ocd.ails oi 'Wincli oi rcad strangcJy in a day when 1 may iic inade by m.otorear m j r.iauy houra i he Bishop took j day w - • ' -I