EARLY WAIRARAPA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 September 1938, Page 7

EARLY WAIRARAPA

COMING OF THE PAKEHA BLAZING THE TRAIL. FIRST EXPLORING PARTIES. The third of a series of articles on early Wdirarapa, written specially for the “Times-Age” by Mr Charles Bannister, of Masterton, describes the coming of the pakeha to the district. The word pakeha, according to Mr Bannister, means a foreigner, not necessarily light-skinned, and is taken from the word pakepakeha, a fairy. Mr Bannister writes as follows:— The first white man on record to locate the Wairarapa was Dr Dieffenbach, the celebrated German naturalist, who made an exploration of the Hutt River in 1840. He proceeded up the river, through dense bush, crossing the stream many times, till he came to a spur leading up to the Tararua range. From there the party got a splendid view of the “Widerup,” as the district was then called. This is what they saw: To the east a beautiful plain, to the south-east was an extensive lake, with an almost dazzling brilliancy, hence the name Wairarapa, shining water; to the northeast a level plain, crossed at intervals with streams running from the mountains on the west of the plains. All these rivers seemed to have a belt of heavy bush on both sides. They all seemed to empty into a larger river, which fed the lake. That was his report when he returned to Wellington. STOKE’S JOURNEY. Robert Stokes was the first white man to explore the Wairarapa. In 1841 he made up a party composed of two white men to carry provisions, two Maoris to act as guides, and a personal friend, a Mr Child, who volunteered to go with him, At the outset he had great difficulty in procuring guides, as very few Maoris knew the route, and those that knew it were afraid to go, as the Wairarapa Maoris were their enemies at that time. Proceeding up the Hutt Valley for about 25 miles, they crossed the river 26 times before they came to the confluence of the Pakuratahi Stream, where they camped for the night. Next day they followed the Pakuratahi Stream for a short distance till it turned to the east. Then they struck up a spur leading north, which took them to the top of the Rimutaka range. By climbing a tree Stokes saw the lake in the distance, and by following another spur towards it they arrived there next day. The place where they came on to the plain was somewhere near where Featherston now stands. Stokes made an exploration of the Wairarapa on the west side, from south to north, then returned, following the Ruamahanga to the mouth of the Lake and then around the coast to Wellington. This is Stokes’s report: They were pleased with everything they saw. The Maoris they fell in with were friendly and welcomed them and on being addressed by the guides they said it would be well if the pakeha came and lived with them. His report was that the Wairarapa was a splendid, fertile valley, well watered with splendid grazing for cattle and sheep in its native state and a useful appendage to Wellington. A TRYING JOURNEY. Probably the most trying journey was that undertaken in 1842 by Mr Charles Kettle, Assistant Surveyor of the New Zealand Land Company. With his party consisting of Maoris and whites, he ascended the Manawatu River up to the gorge, which he went through, still following the Manawatu, till he came to the junction of the Mangatainoka. This river he followed up till it turned towards the Tararua ranges. He then followed the Makakahi Stream till he saw a big black hill straight in front of him. This was Pukaha, now known as Mt Bruce. Then he turned/ south, which brought him to the Ruamahanga River, at the top end of the Wairarapa Plain. (This was at Mr McLachlan’s “Never See” property). From there the party made its way down to the Paerau Pa, which then was on what is now Mr J. Colquhoun’s property. The Maoris there gave them a good welcome and asked them to stay the night, which they did. The Maoris told the guides there was a large pa down at Kaikokirikiri, and they had sent word that some pakehas were coming. In the morning, after a light breakfast, the whole pa set out for Kaikokirikiri (which was a fortified pa situated on the terrace on Mr H. Raynor’s property overlooking the Waipoua River. It was burnt down in 1850. W. Adams was burning off native grass to make spring feed for hoggets and burnt the pa. WELCOME BY MAORIS. As soon as the look-outs saw the party coming they commenced waving mats, and welcoming the visitors with “Haeremai, haeremai, naumai, naumai, tahutimai.” They stayed at this pa for two days. (The cultivations belonging to Kaikokirikiri were at Ngaumutawa, where the Chinese gardens are now located). Leaving this place well provided with food, the party got as far as the Waingawa where they were held up by a flood. They got across the next day and got as far as the Waiohine River, but as it was dark they decided not to cross till the morning. (He that hesitates is lost). It came on to rain in the night. In the morning the river was in flood, and they could not get across for four days. By that time- all their food supply was gone. They had a little luck in getting a wild pig. They lived on this till the rivei’ was low enough to cross in safety. After crossing the Waiohine they made their way down to the Lake, where they saw some Maoris fishing for eels. The Maoris were pleased to see them and gave them a fresh supply of potatoes, corn and dried eels. From now on their luck seems to have deserted them. On trying to follow Stokes’s route, they must have gone up the wrong spur, and as the weather was thick and foggy they made a wrong turning and came back to the Lake, losing two days. They made another start in wet weather, and after three days reached the Pakuratahi Stream. This they followed down to the Hutt River and on to the Hutt settlement, arriving there in a very bad way from living on fresh-killed pork and being wet for a week. Mr Child had to be carried the last half day. It nearly cost him his life. He was in the hospital for quite a time. BLAZING THE ROAD. It was Mr Chas. Samuel Brees, Principal Surveyor to the New Zealand Land Co., who in 1843 searched for and blazed a track from the Pakuratahi across the Rimutakas to the Lake, which is now the road. He

said it would not exceed 40 miles from Wellington to the foot of the Rimutaka on the Wairarapa side. He had walked from Wairarapa to Pakuratahi in 4-J- hours. This track is now the road over the Rimutakas.

In 1844, after hearing all the reports of the splendid grazing qualities of the Wairarapa, a party of Australians set off to see for themselves. They were Clifford, Weld and Vavasour. They went round the coast way to the mouth of the Lake, then followed up the Ruamahanga River till they came to the Wharekaka Plain, where they succeeded in leasing all the land on the east side of the river (now called Martinborough) from the Maoris, for £2O, and ten red blankets, per annum. Mr Bidwill came at the same time, taking up Pihautea which the family still holds. By 1846 there were twelve large stations in the Wairarapa; in 1850 there were 46. Most of the country was taken up. These were some of the holdings: Messrs Collins and Northcroft had all the land north of the Waipoua River, also the Te Ore Ore Plains; Messrs Rhodes and Donald had all the land from the Waipoua on the north down to the Waiohine on the south. All these holdings were illegal (only Maori lease). By this time, 1850, the Government land buyers were negotiating to purchase some land from the owners, which they did in 1853.