EKETAHUNA NEWS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3083, 4 January 1909, Page 6

EKETAHUNA NEWS.

(Fr«m Oar Own Correspondent.) Saturday,

fne weather for the past fortnight hf.s been very broken, delaying haymaking, and in cases where the hay was cut before the rain came, the crop has been spoiled. A fine week now would be very acceptable to farmers. The bookings for January for the Public Hall include Rickards Entertainers and Damjpier s Dramatic Company. Miss F. Baine's "The Lancashire Lass" Go. has booked for a date in February. The Trustees of the Eketahuna Domain some time back tendered their resignations with the object of having the Domain handed over to the Borough Council. The Trustees have now received notice from the UnderSecretary for .Lands that their resignations have been accepted, and the Reserve, which contains about 13 • acres, invested in the Borough Council. Messrs Herbert Reardon and Bedding left Eketahuna on Christmas morning by motor-car, and reached Waiouru, on the Main Trunk line, the same evening. On Boxing morning the party secured seats in the Tokaanu coach to the track to the Raapehu Mountain Hut. The party spent the afternoon making dumplings and girdle scones, His Worship proving a master hand at the latter. On Sunday morning the weather was very bad. The party made a start at 1.30 p.m. for Ngaruhoe, the summit of which was reached without serious mishap at 4 p.m. The summit was enveloped in heavy clouds, and the party did not obtain a view of the surrounding country. They however got over the brink of the crater, and descending some distance they came to the edge of the inner crater. The view was still obscured by clouds and steam, but the crater was very active and noisy. Owing to the rapid approach of darkness the party decided to return. The party were doing so in rather a rapid manner and setting stones rolling down the mountain, when they >heard cries of "Stop, don't kill us," etc. When the other party came up they found it to consist of two men and three boys, who continued on, and as was found afterwards lost themselves and did not get ;to camp till 11 o'clock that night. -However, the Eketnhuna party got back to the Ruapehu Hut at 7,30.