The Best Way to Waichine Reefs.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2801, 18 January 1888, Page 2

The Best Way to Waichine Reefs.

To the Editor IVairarapa Daily Sir,—Being fairly well acquainted with the Tarawa Ranges and the courses which some of the rivers take through thorn, a short description of what to ine seems to be by far the best route, to the upper portion of the Waiohine may be acceptable to your readers. • If I wanted to reach the head quarters of the river I should ■ make a start from Masterton, follow the Upper Plain road to, the Black . Creek, and cross the Waingawa at Field's farm, whero the Mangatarere. (not to be confused with the tributary of the Waiohine of the same name) comes in from the westward. Thence ,* I should follow the valley of the -m Mangatarere' for about seven miles. There is a good bridle track the whole of this distance, and a good place to leave the horses at Its < termination, From here a surveyors track which is easily followed leads up a ridge the upper portion of which forms the watershed between the Waiohine and . Waingawa. I have travelled over it many a time, with an aneroid, and so far as I can remember it is only about two thousand feet high. There is no very steep grade, and the distance. from it into the valley of the Waiohine is not at all abrupt, It would, as a matter of fact, be very easy to make a road up one side and down the other. The time which a trip by this route to the lower camp of the Greytown prospecting party would take, would be about G| to 7 hours. I know I can cover the distance there and back in, one day, without making any great', exertion. The route over the top of j£ Mount Holdsworth is muclimore diffi- W ] cult.. It involves the ascent of a peak which is 4980 feet high, and a dangerously steep.descent on the western' side.

lam &c, J. Martin Bookem;,