IN THE FAR NORTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 February 1917, Page 6

IN THE FAR NORTH.

THE PARLIAMENTARY PARTY. STUCK IN THE MUD.

The day that will remain longest in the memory of the Parliamentary party that finished its tour of the Auckland Peninsula on Wednesday will probably be Tuesday, the '23 rd ult. The party had reached the previous day the "furthest north'' point, Waipapakauri, about fourteen miles above Kaitaia, and the members were leaving thetr comfortable billets in the Kaitaia district homewards, through the western Tropica! rain fell on the Monday whilst the visitors were on the way to Ahipara, on the sea shore, at the beginning of the Ninety Mile Beach, and the southerners had their first, taste of the quality of the roads in the "roadless'' north. The rain came down in torrential showers without warning, and the clay roads, with their innumerable holes and still' gradients, were exceedingly difficult to negotiate even when chains were applied to the wheels of the ears. Some of the ears had to be assisted, and by sheer dint of physical and mechanical force the objective was duly reached. - That night several of the motorists were chary about undertaking next day's journey through the Herekino gorge and valley to the Hokianga, but Colonel Allen Bell—an old Tarauaki man, by the way—the generalissimo of the expedition, declared he would make the trip even if he could get only another ear to accompany him. This had the effect of heartening up the remainder, and next morning about 27 out of the 32 cars comprising the party were in line. ,

Word csr.ic through from Herckino during the night that unless further ruin it'll the road would be unstable for motor traffic, and as no rain Ml it was coiitidciitly hoped the ears would get through to schedule time. The party had moved out from Katiaia only a few miles when rain began to fall, and as the gorge was readied it came down in torrent;:. That the motorists were in foi it soon became apparent. To retrace steps was in no one's mind. All hands meant to see it through, at whatever cost. Anyhow, Ute going' was so hard, ami the holes—-rrad-widc for the most' part—so numerous that it was felt the remainder of the journey could not be less attractive or difficult] and so the motorists plugged away.

The seriousness of the situation began to dawn upon the party when a bullock team was met with stuck hard in the mud. The visitors came to U,' ; rescue, and literally pulled the oxen and their load to terra firma. It was afterwards learned that the coloncl-in-chief, anticipating the worst, had despatched the team to assist any distressed cars! It was a case of the taoles bein,? turned, right enough. The 1-lerekino gorge is not unlike the Tangarakau gorge, Whaiigamomona way, albeit the road is not as well graded'or cared for. The scenery is very beautiful. But in the teeming rain no one was in the mood to appreciate the scenic beauties of the country. ' The party were concerned only with gettina through the gorge. The road, instead: of improving, grew worse, as did the weather. Soon the vanguard cried a halt, and out came shovels, axes, etc Holes had to be fascined and 'ways cut through the mud for the motor wheels. The cars, bv putting forth their maximum energy, got through. Then on a stiff gradient the pioneer detachment looked really alarmed. It had struck a hole that could lose a/bullock team! But it was only for tf few minutes. "Geti'nto it, boys!" exclaimed the Colonel, and into it they got, legislators, pressmen, business men, with axes chopping down the pungas, the saplings and the" fern, and bridging the cavernous, porrid«y hole. The firtf car was put to it, but "jibbed. The ta\k was too great for even a fifty-horse-power motor, 'n '■Out with the rope, boys!" ordered the Colonel, and the rope was affixed, the engines started, and with the combined efforts of the fifty or sixty men at the rope and the power of the engine the car 'was clear. It was a great .pull. There were twenty-six cars still to come. The tug-of-war was repeated twenty-five times. It was the first occasion New Zealand legislators were known to pull together! One car alone got through ander its own power, and that was possible only by the improvement made in the fascining. The other side of the gorge presented a dreary and hopeless outlook, the road being but a sea of mud, through which it appeared impossible for any ear to make its way, but it was down hill, and the r.irs vm'tOiy floated down. Now and again a ear would stick or come to grief, and the occupants be obliged to get out and lend a hand. Before the Hcrckino township—consisting 01 a boarding-house, a store and a hall, with a few houses dotted over the landscape—was reached two or three riverlets had to be crossed, which added to the excitement of the journey. One or two cars were -unequal to the task, and horses were requisitioned. It was now four o'clock, and the party were feeling famished, as they had nothing to eat since the early breakfast. It was plain that the party could make no further progress that day, as the road through to the llokianga was not considered particularly safe in dry weather and absolutely impassable in wet. So it was decided to camp at Ilcrekino for the night. To find accommodation for such a iarge party was the. next thing. It was no easy problem, for the houses were few and far between, and separated by roads long since converted into quagmires that defied pedestrian or motor traffic. However, a good number found billets, and the remainder elected to sleep in the ears or the hall, or in neighboring haylofts. This section of the varty had to solve the question of rations for themselves, which they did by raiding the store of everything in the nature of tinned foods. Bread was at a premium, but sweet biscuits were plentiful. Some of the more enterprising of the motorists waylaid a friendly cow and secured a supply of milk. A fire was soon got going and tea made. It was voted the finest cup of tea tasted during the trip! . There were but two large mugs—used to fill the radiates—and all hands and the cook took turns in sipping from these. Of knives, forks and spoons there .were none, and lesouree had to he made to Nature's own cutlery. A moving picture of that scene would have been 'worth a great deal to a showman. There were some of New Zealand's prominent politicians, leading editors, influential commercial men, diving into the tins for sheep's tongues, fish or fruit, some 'balancing the B food on two biscuits, others using tbeir pocket knives, the great majority their digits. It was a taste of life *t the front! No one .complained. It was ■l] part' of _tjhe outing.

That night was not less interesting. A dance was ongumsi'd in tlio hull, ami to the tune of an accordeen that had seen better days a number of Maoris and Austrian gum-diggers and. vlsifoiv essayed the light fantastic on a iloor that resembled the corduroy that graced .some parts of the road outside. The (lance was continued till midnight, when the Austrian wine that is a feature of the district began to operate, and the MX'. —a prominent Auckland member of Parliament—promptly ordered the disturbers out and closed the function. Meantime some of the party had retired to the cars to sleep the sleep of the weary, but their slumbers were rudely disturbed by the quarrelling Maoris and Austrians. The battle seemed to last for hours. At dawn everyone was astir. A cow was again commandeered, and morning tea was soon available. There were more tinned food and biscuits, whilst the good lady of the store, taking pity on the sodden, miserable-look-ing mud-pushers, placed her table at their disposal. And her goodness was eagerly and thankfully availed of. The morning broke fine, and everyone was thankful that Herekino was not to be a prison tor another day, as was feared. Tint the rain gauge showed that three inches of rain had fallen in the seven houijs—the trippers got the full benefit of the deluge—which meant that hot as the sun might be it would be no light undertaking to get through to Kohu Kohu. .However, the party felt that since they had negotiated the gorge under conditions that appeared impossible they were equal to anything, and they faced the journey with confidence. Rut the road proved really bad. The clay -was very slippery, and the cars skidded from one side to the other. Several got into difficulties. One, containing Mr. Speaker, had a miraculous escape. It skidded and fell over the bank. Just below, however, there was a big rata stump, which luckily held up the car. Had it fallen a few feet on either side there must have been a few \acaneies to fill in the House. A fewminutes later another car came to grief, going over the bank, but held temporary by mud under the car blocking one end. The ropes were again requisitioned and the car righted. There were some dry spots, and headway was made here, the party arriving at liroadwood, halfway between Herekino and Kohukolui, safe and sound, albeit covered with mud from head to foot.

Subsequently the party struck bad weather from Kaikohe to Dargavillc, in the Mangakahia valley, the road in places being particularly vile. Really it was more of a track than a road. Three or four cars met- with accidents. One phnged a distance of about thirty feet, dashed through an eight-wire fence, and crashed into a log. The front part of the machine was considerably damaged, hut not one of the five passengers was hurt. Other cars fared similarly, except that the cars themselves escaped damage. Altogether on the trip there were, about nine or ten accidents, but not a soul was hurt. The accidents were such that by the law of iverage at least half-a-dozen pa-:scngcrs should have been rendered hors de comU't, but a kind Fate was watolling over the explorers, who accepted their experiences philosophically and enjoyed cverv hour of the long round trip to uhc '"Roadless North."