THE WAIRARAPA ALPS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1896, 23 January 1885, Page 2

THE WAIRARAPA ALPS.

SCENT OF :MOFNT HOLDS-:- "-•::■.• ■:■ .•-•■.,:■;= WORT:H;.:S;^ ; .;;^' A party of eleveny four ladiesyhave, just achieved Mount . ; ;Holds;Wqrth,:;one-pf; points of the Tararua'range./ Theyjeft.c - :; Masterton on Monday, soon after el&ten- !••:•'•. a.m. favored by the'freather, a few clouds..:rmerely adding beautiful, effects^.ofilight ... and shade to the landscape. The ladies !v,; ! !. drove, as far as the Black Creek, .the whole party set out on horseback, M<W; Comptonacting as guide.throughout the expedition, and proving most ;energetio, • obliging, arid trustworthy. THets|enery. ; -' through which.'they passed combined all the beauties of river, mountain;'and a''" luxuriant bush-vegetation. Now.jthe. eye ■ rested on rich masses of the deep rei rata," formihg.a beautiful contrast with thedark foliage of. the surrounding bush j. : how : ' on ".•'. the feathery-fronds of the;-"graceful }Z; treefern waving among the gianfatems of the totara and white pine; or, agajn on, .beds of fresh green kidney.ferns and'other choice kinds, together with the delicate r'. mosses oarpeting the ground,-.. After a"'-; rough'ride of about three hours, orossm'g- ■"'■'•> and re-crossing the,.river, following '':'s. :'.">' tangled.and muddy bush track witjijianr "■•/ a steep aspent and descent, the-firat".lxaiV.rl:; made, There .the horsea.were.left, some tßthered,. others allowed to loam at pleasure'. • The climb now began in earn* - est," many of the party carrying- heavy loads containing the tents, blankets and ■ provisions- needed for. camping out,; the "';'.• whole procession looking very A slight shower towards tneend oithJjßfr .march gave them a taste of what" camp- '' ing out" might be under adverse circumstances. . ;Tliis-passing discomfort-was',''. however,:soon forgotten when the tents'. '■• were pitched', and a blazing fire shed- its ; ' : raddy,.and,.genial .glow on the merry '• group around it, -A substantial nwal was' - soon prepared by V: hands experienced •in- bush cijokeiy, and. thoroughly enjoyed -bya]l, after wlijch they turned in for the ' ; i night. With the morning dawn the camp . - was astir, agajn, and.at a quarter past five all were ready tu brave the remaining difficulties of the ascent, Again tho ~ weather was'all that could be desired, ft ;fewfleeoyolimda and-a.fresh mountain, t.breeze later on giving relief to tho travel-'' '*■ lers from the glare and heat of the bright sunshine, First they.once rnoroelimbeda.'/x hill,; threading the.mazes.oi-the-buah,---theft splashed throush a'swamp along a .'ky'el ridgo, and after winding through a desolate,looking.-region of bare .white trunks they toiled up the steep and storiey heights'that rise above each.other to tha - summit of the mountain, The .'• grimily toes giving way to Bcrnb,. whibli vanished in it's turn, and ■'/ new flowers appearing chiefly of white yellow hue. Among...these a beautifiA large blossom like the Marguerite',' and yellow lilly were eonspicuous, while large,. ■white patches of t'h'e'"d6wn'y '• Edelweiss #1 glialening .w|th ; dew, .which; is eq weirkuQw-n to Alpine "tourists',' Mpf ,a small white everlasting flpw, -ret '' ; iemblitig;: the''.daisy,;.''.togetherr" With!» ■beautiful .lichens clothed .the- rugged--;; ground. The Summit was reached aboul;"."" ten, two of the party having anived ' owlier, The yiow enjoyed from :.';' this, lofty point, is very .beautiful and extensive, and all felt well'repaid for the fatigue they had undergone to gainit.' To ' it-embraces' the v sea"'frsm''Ca'tie - '" Tiirhagain to the South.lsland.whero the 'snow on the Kaikora;-mountains was ; distinctly visible, : At tliefbotWtliiS hills sloping down from Mount the" fertile - valley of the .Wairarapa- lies;: ■■;. stretched out like a panorama, clearjy ; :ShQwing the cQip-qo qf the Suamahunga, and the straight, broad river bed of the.Waingawaandthoflourishing'townships ofMasterton, Carterton; and Grey town, interspersed with bush, and further south the glittering waters of Lake. On.tlie west the bhje line of .theJß sea stretches from the gentle curve near™ Wanganui to far beyond Eapiti,-which- ; ;. lies off the. coast•exaQfcly.;qppoaite.the ; mountain,. .AJre.'having fen lighted, \ ■ alight but refreshing ,m,eal .was soon ready'••, to which some water from-.twp small'cleav . : : tarns close -td'the'- summit contributed a ' v welpome andjiriportant' share,- :;'.'Having.v.ji thoroughly enjoyed : the around, and feeling thoroughly; reate&ahd'' ;; refreshed, theparty set out on their, return.;;; about half'past eleven. They found parta •• :■<: of. the desoent veiy precipitouß,.'aiid;were..' --: glad after.their fatiguing march tp'reachev.the camp about four.. After tea.two of :■'. their number pushed on to look aft'er horses while the.others retiredjearly'to,:•':•-' enjoy the improvements.madel'jrj';theiroouches with manuka arid fern-leayek :A;;■•' strong wind rousing all. at a very early . ■: hour, breakfast psiWdy at'half* past .-. three, and a quarter past four founc\them . onoe more laden with their cam'pfurni- ;. tuve setting out on their homeward track, About half-past fivo .they reached .the '.'. • .ffierids who had preceded them the.night \.". before, where the unwelcorae'newsawaited •' :them that ; four of.the horses ..were..iiot.to'.;'v be found. Most fortunately the.jrusty '■'.: .pack-horse wasnptnntong the'rijnawayg, and relieved-the;weary bearers of theirs loads. The remaining mounted, tho panied by four of the party on foot, al[~? •hoping soon to fod.the,jml|aing..honeß somewhere by the" fjver, Hqwever it waa - •", nearly nine before' only tfiree it themweri' : 'discovered, and after going r a lit^lerfurther.- - -'■ andrmeeting the guide'Tetunitog'.flo'm' a'"" ■frtfitless-Bearch- ~~ Mia 'roae:;babFto .'.where; t]bo '.ho|Bes;h&d~MuV Pooh;.'were.fbrtunate enpttgh to M'the : njynffbne l J : W, be^;CT n V n^h ■ so plevent'eJfrqm fpUowing.tjie otiher>lo - • ■'„ the-river." 'Altera plemniride'the' party '•-'"" arrived. at.lHe..'Black Creei,without'•' "• fuither,'adveritur.e,.and ) •' 'tertpn in'higli spirits, gfeaUyVdeiighted l " with an e?pedition which had hjeri at '" successful mit was out -of the "conVnok : '■•