SOME PROSPECTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1939, Page 17 (Supplement)

SOME PROSPECTING

[ During our spell we made our plan , for the rest of the day. It was to go up the creek prospecting till 3 p.m., i then come back, pick up our things and follow the creek down to the junction with Ihe Waiohine. We hung our belongings up in a tree out of the way of pigs, Jackie remarking, "No pigs here but one might come along." We followed the creek up. cracking a rock now and again but I could not see anything that looked like quartz. “The next rock might be all right,” said Jackie. So we kept on till it was time to return. It did not take us long to return to where we left our things, then off we went downstream. I did not know the name of the stream then, if it had one, but since 1 have had maps, I believe we were on Dorset’s Creek. The going was a bit rough with some very fine gorges. 1 told Mundy to look out for a trout. He replied: "No good going down stream.” "How is that?” I asked. "They can smell Jackie’s feet before we get there,” he said. At last we came to the junction with the Waiohine, which was to be our camping place for the’ night. We picked a very good "possie.” Jackie got scrub and moss for a bunk. The moss was plentiful and as no rain had fallen for six weeks it was perfectly dry and made an ideal bunk. We did not see many birds, a couple of fantails and a little wren. Larger birds were conspicuous by their absence. We were up early and as we were washing at the river I heard the call of a blue duck. My mates wanted to know if. I had ever eaten one.