OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 January 1941, Page 2

OTHER PEOPLE’S IDEAS

MOUNT HECTOR TRACK (To the Editor) Sir. —Some two years ago I wrote in your columns suggesting the name Maxton be given the new hut then nearing completion on the Mt Holdsworth bushline tit was eventually named the Powell hut). The reason for my suggestion was my long-re-tained memory of the yeoman services rendered in the interests of an eventual safe traverse of the Tararuas by Mr Mark Maxton, of Greytown, over the longest known period of preTramping Club, historic years. Had not Mr Maxton’s letter of yesterday in your columns inferred that my article of earlier date had not taken cognisance of such things, and therefore made its slight historic value incomplete. I had no reason for reply to his letter, other than to thank your greatly-respected correspondent for his kindly reception, apart from this, of my article.

I In a small brochure published some I near 20 years back —"Otaki and Across I the Tararuas," 1 read: "The track over the Tararuas. connecting Otaki j with Greytown, first attracted public I interest in 1895, when committees were established in both Greytown and I Otaki with the object of forming a ; ’rack. These committees have done good work, and 'year 1920 spoken of) ! are still continuing to do so. The I Tararua Tramping Club was recently established in Wellington. The first , party to cross the ranges comprised ■ Messrs C. E. Murray. Hobman and Johansen, who walked from Greytown to Otaki early in 189 G. taking ten days ‘ on the trip (an exploratory one). Their return journey only occupied three days. Messrs Herbert Walkley and A. A. Clark, of Otaki. accompanied Mr Murray's party from near Table Top to Greytown, they being the first to cross the mountains from the Otaki side. Many trips over the Tararuas have been made of latter years, and in every case those who walked across have been delighted with their experiences. So far as we (the publishers of the brochure named) know the record trip from Otaki to Woodside was made by Messrs W. H. Field. M.P.. B. C. Aston. E. Atkinson and Frank Penn (editor-proprietor of the 'Otaki Mail,' who, as a party of enthusiasts, walked from the Taungata suspension bridge (Otaki Gorge* to Bassett's hut in 2 days (21 hours 20 minutes actual walking). This was in March. 1912,” And now let me come to my own rescue, as it were, in acknowledging the good work done in years past by Mr Maxton. and his local compatriots on this side of the range, by using (in part) the Press report of a trip over the Tararuas, from Woodside to Otaki, made during the early 'twenties, which says, inter alia: "For some considerable time the Mount Hector Track Committee in the Wairarapa have been most anxious to have a track from Woodside to Otaki. by way of the Tararua ranges, and many of them have spent much time and labour in devising ways and means of securing the most suitable road. While the Otaki Committee have been quietly slumbering on in good old Rip Vail Winkle style, the Wairarapa Committee have been up and doing, and been the means of securing a line track, with convenient whares at suitable intervals en route. Not content with much good work done on the other side of the ranges, the Greytown Com- 1 inittee are anxious to help the Otaki Committee and are even prepared, in this direction, io donate them a sum of money, which will allow them to better carry out their work." . . . And then follows an account of a traverse of the range by Messrs Frank Wall T C. Udy. R Bassett and R. B Sayer, of Greytowu; an exploratory trip of immense value.

1 ins pm Ucukir trip above mentioned, at some later opportunity in your widely-read columns, 1 hope t<> have your editorial permission to repeat for the benefit of readers interested m mountain traverse in that iii.igniijeetu terrain, in which your Grew town correspondent. quite apart from his own share in making it easy of access to even the less venturesome, still feels despite his 87th year of age. naun’allv proud,—l am etc. a, NJI! Musterton. January 7.