THE WHEEL,.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2336, 29 March 1892, Page 3

THE WHEEL,.

A Bicycle Trip to the Otago Lakes via Central Otago, February, 1892., By C. J. Goldstone and Jas. Gillespie. [Written by Cushion-tyre.] ( Continued.) We had still forty miles to go to Lifmsden, and we set off fvgftin af 1.130 p.m. on our journey. •jlhe country here is level and descends towards Lumsden. The road, or, more correctly speaking, the track, is now seldom used, so we found it very rough indeed. We made the best of ouy way out to a siding about nine miles out, called Fairlight. Here wp were met by the Mafauxa in full flood, and no signs of any rqad or a bridge across it, save the railway one. While we were meditating ho,w we should act, a gentlemen in charge of some sheep rode up to us and directed us towards the right way. Here we had a swollen creek to ford, which would necessitate our wading. However, he dismounted, and, having gum boats on, he pushed our machines through the water, whilst G—— fipst rpdp his horse over, and, having scut it back for rnc;, I inpqni.ed and reached the other side in safety. After thanking this unknown benefactor we sailed away again towards the next township of Garstou By this time we had crossed to the lefthand side of the valley and reached an old road, down the middle of which a stream of water was running. Here was a treat, but ’ there was no get out of it, so for muye than a mile we had ih wade thyough the Water, pushing our machines and getting thoroughly wet fpot, in which condition we remained until 11 o clock that evening. After half-an-hours walking- (ipd riding we reached (ViU’gtW, and found the

I country aroua ■ flooded, only the railway line clear. A s the road was under water, this was worse than anything we had yet met, so the only thing we could do was to ride along the line for seven or eight miles. Many bridges were crossed, yet we could not see the road. This state of affairs kept up until we reached the little township of Athol, where we struck the road om c more. Here we were recommended to follow the line again, as the treacherous Parawa was unbridged, and in high flood. Having no alternative we went back to the line, and followed it till we reached the road again at an accommodation house six or seven miles further on. It was now close on 6 p.m., so we halted there and had a good tea. At ’

this point we were 18 miles from Lumsden, and a hawker who had come that day from Lumsden informed us that the road was in bad condition. Nothing daunted, however, as we were now beginning to fear nothing, we set off again,and had gone out three orfour miles when the road disappeared altogether. This may sound queer, but it is a fact, none the less, as a whole mountain side had come down, and, bringing down stones and earth, had covered the road completely for upwards of a mile. Whilst we we hunting about for the most suitable way, a farmer’s wife, armed with a big stout stick, as though she deemed us “Uncanny,” advanced towards us and asked were we were going. “To Lumsden,” said I. “ Well, my mon, you’ll no’ reach it the’ nicht.” She told us that the road was buried like that on the preceding Sunday, when a waterspout, with a noise like thunder, burst on the mountain side; and so it seemed, as the hills were eaten away and water worn. We got over this piece of country all right and when darkness overtook us we were at Lowthem, six miles from Lumsden. Here we stopped and lit our lamps, and as there were two roads we were uncertain which to follow. Here now was a nice predicament; darkness around us and undecided about the roads, We had lively visions of camping out that night among the tussocks of Southland. G went back to a surfaceman’s hut and enquired the way. When he returned it! was!) p.m., so we followed the hillside road, and a delightful one it proved, too. It was up and down gullies, and across numerous small streams. It was totally unrideable, so it was not until 10.30 p.m. that the welcome lights of Lumsden appeared ahead of us. With our mud-bespattered clothes and lamps bobbing up and down in the darkness we mnst have looked like a couple of “ will-o’-the-wisps.” The day had been a very trying one to us, and now, to add to our miseries, we could not get accomodation anywhere that night. There had beeen races in Lumsden that day, and the township was crowded with racing characters. At the different hotels we asked at they told us they were full up, and pointed disparagingly at our legs and knickerbockers. Here was a nice fix, and I do not know what we would have done had we not met a gentleman, an entire stranger to us, Mr McAlister, who undertook to get us housed for the night. In company with him we returned to the hotel we had been refused accommodation at, and now, after he had explained that we were tourists and not swaggers , we were given a room. This hotel, Fletcher’s Elbow Hotel, is one of the bestconducted hotels we stayed at, and everything is carried out according to the Licensing Act. After partaking of a very hearty, though late, meal, we were shown our room by a most civil and obliging young lady, who innocently asked, on the way upstairs, where had we left our “ swags,” another fall for us. Next morning we had breakfast by 8 a.m., and at fi.3o we left for Gore, distant 10 miles. The country around here is flat and soon by a very fair metalled road we were on the Waimca Plain. The road, after you follow it for some miles, runs unfenced through an estate on which some splendid polled angus cattle, and sheep were grazing. Soon we came to a creek, over which there one time was a bridge, but, alas, that bridge was clearly visible fully two chains down in the next paddock, and an enormous gap in the road. Here we had to take off our boots, etc., and wade through to dry land on the other side. The agricultural township of Balfour was reached about 11.30., and a halt was made to ascertain which road we should follow. The one we did take, took us right across the plains through the tussocks, and the road reminded me very forcibly of the one across the Canterbury Plains. We continued on our course, the road getting “ better ” every yard, and finally we found ourselves making headlong for a deep gravel pit. True enough, thither it was the road led, and now, after a few moments of release to our minds, we struck off on foot at right angles to the former track, and reached the tussocky road again. We were now riding along the top of a terrace, so we descended from this to the river-bed below, and made our way into the thriving farming township and district of Riversdy.]o. Here we had dinner, and left at 2 p.m. for Gore. The road from here to Gore is really a grand one, one of the best we got on the whole journey, so we soon rattled past Mandeville, eleven miles from Riversdale, and, the roads gradually Im. proving, we ran into Gore at I p.m. It was our intention to go on to Clinton that night, but we were advised not to, as the road was bad, so we remained at putting up at'White’s Railway w here we found the acconuno^. ltion 'tolerable. Gore o-nd GordOlt 5n oppssite sides of the Mataura, seemed to us to be really go-head agricultural places, and have every advantage in good surrounding farming country. On Saturday morning, a fortnight out from home, we started at 8.30 a.m. |qr Clinton for dinner, and Balclutha that afternoon. We went the rough road to Clinton, by way of Waipahi, instead of taking the Papatuna Gorge road. We

regretted this very much, as the road was unrideable in some places, being- unformed. Just about Waipahi, near the old hotel, we came on a piece of road that was equally as good as any cinder track we had seen. Unfortunately this road did not last for more than half a mile, so we had a repe - tition of varied roads, from loose clay to huge boulders, until we ran into Clinton. We did ample justice to the splendid spread placed before us at the Prince of Wales’ Hotel here, and after allowing our food time to settle, we left at 2 p.m. for Balclutha, distant twenty-two miles, over very fair roads, up and down hill, though all macadamised. (lo Vo continued.')