A HOLIDAY TRIP.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3070, 19 March 1892, Page 5 (Supplement)

A HOLIDAY TRIP.

OVERLAND FltOM CIIRISTCIItIKCII TO NELSON. Attracted by hearing of the magnificent scenery of the West Coast road, L and myself determined to return from the City ot the Plains by way of Greymouth and Nelson. . We took the early train for Springfield. After leaving the main South line at Bolleston Junction, the line passes through some very uninviting country round Kirwee and Darfield; but as the base of the mountains is approached the country improves, and Springfield—a very pretty English-looking village—is reached about noon. Our coach having received its full complement, as many more were wedged in, like herrings in a keg, as practicable. While all were standing round the machine, my thought was - "What is one small coach among so many?" But the baggage stowed, John takes his seat, seizes the reins, and with a scientific flourish of his whip sets his five steeds in motion. Away goes the coach, and away goes the tongue of the driver; and, although sorely jammed —those next the iron rails the worst (Poor George !)—we must acknowledge our Jehu a king among coachmen. Skirting precipitous ravines and scaling the steepish acclivity of a narrow glen, we approach a spot where all further progress seems barred, but a sudden turn on the road reveals a low stone house, which bears the name of the Porter's Pass Hotel, and John pulls up so that his passengers might refresh. The difficulties of getting unpacked and repacked caused the thirsty ones to cooee for the Hebe to appear ; but the goddess would not smile—her soul was wrath at such treatment. She had never been cooeed to before, and would not have it now. We could die of thirst, and her " Ward's Entire " or " Manning's XXX " might go sour. She was above such a way of supplying mortals. So on we drouthy mortals go up, up the toilsome pass, till the gradient becomes so abrupt that John pulls up and informs us that the horses can only take the empty coach to the top. Aa the point to be reached is about three thou' saud feet above the sea level, we find il a pretty stiff climb. With many a turc and panting pause we gradually get uj in the world, and at every new point o: elevation are rewarded by the rich ex tension of prospect. A few turns mid snow-capped monsters i glistening iu the mid-day sun, reveals t< us Castle Hill, where stand groups o colossal rocks, looking from the road lik( the shattered ruins of a vast castle " built by giant hands." One hugi > monolith looks rather uncanny, as i • only a slight force would send it " dowi | hill screivin' wi' rattling speed." At the Castle Hill hostelry, we leave i goodly contingent of passengers ant luggage, and then the coach, being full proceeded on its mountain way. Th sun's hot rays poured down through i cloudless sky, snow caps peeped at u from behind snow caps, huge dells swep 1 away at irregular intervals in the moun 8 tain walls, and from the snow, lying dee I in sunless rifts, are poured down a count less number of raging torrents to awe ! the central streamlet of the pass. Time passes, and soon we are at th " welcome little hostelry yelept the' Cass, where everything necessary for man an 8 beast may be obtained on the usual tern I of , „

"Drink, pilgrim, drink—drink and pay." At this stage John takes on board one passenger on top of the luggage on the roof, and off we are again. Lakes Pearson and Lyndon are passed. These are sombre-looking tarns, and enlivened only by the scream of an occasional curlew. Soon we are skirting along a terraoe high above the foaming Waimakariri, when a scream from the young lady on my left makes us aware that our new from the Cass is standing upright, clutching a bottle (from which he had been allaying his emotions), and is being over-balaDced when the dexterous manipulations of his coat tail and the legs of his pants, by George L and another, only- prevented him from being brained by some of the river boulders below. Right glad are we to get rid of the ingrate at the Bealey, as until we reach that place we are annoyed by the abuse poured out by the fellow at his preservers.

The Bealey River crossed, we ascend through Arthur's Pass, and arrive at the summit of the Otira Gorge, where stands a post to mark the boundary between the Provinces of Canterbury and Westland. The road_ now zigzags down the mountain side to a depth of 1500 feet, in some places cut out the solid rock, and in others carried over ravines, while densely wooded mountains rise abruptly on either side to a height of 7000 feet. Here we have a grand display of cascades, one from a shelf of rock over 500 feet above is supplied from a mountain tarn over 3000 feet above sea level called the Devil's Punchbowl. At the foot of tbe Gorge stands the Otira Hotel where we stay for the night. Having got outside a good square meal, we retire but not to sleep. The thm partitions and floors render the acoustic properties of the building first-rate and the sounds painfully acute to the hearing so that the reveller's joke, the laugh, the stamping, and the wailing of sleepy children resound in quick succession till near daylight. We are roused at 5 a.m.

to vesume the journey, a start is made, and the beauties of the OtiraValley make us soon forget the discomforts of the night. The invigorating early morning breeze, the majestic pine trees towering above, the rata's brilliant with red flowers, with profusion of clemntis *nd other floral creopors, with here and there a natural fernery watered by its cascade, formed altogether a panoroma of givat beauty. After a drive of 23 miles we reach Taipo, and then a further 1 un of 18 miles chiefly through bush, and along the banks of the Teremakau river, we reach Dilmaostown, a mining settlement. As the country opens out here we get a better view of the Coast scenery. At one point we see five ranges of bush mountains, each towering higher than the other in front. We soon reach Kumara on the Teremakau river, famous for its sludee channel. The people here are chiefly occupied in alluvial gold mining. After taking a look at the town, its tailraces and sluice boxes, we take tram for Greymouth, a distance of 14 miles. This tram is in two sections, the first miles it travels through a dense bush, to the brink of the Teremakau, across which passengers are conveyed by an ariel tram. This primitive method will soon givo place to the more modern system, as the railway is being rapidly constructed. Landed safely on terra firms we soon get over the second section of six miles and reach Greymouth. Greymouth is a town that has seen better days, but even now its trade is very considerable and a greater demand for coal and coke would see a great increase. Mawhera Quay faces the River Grey, and on a Saturday night the crowd then; inspecting the shop windows is as dense as in Queen-street, Auckland. The peace and safety of the West Coast people are in the good keeping of our old friend McGovern. The wet climate of the West seems necessary for mining foperations. A rush of muddy water shows that we are near a claim in work, and soon we hear the rush of the sluicing pipe. There stand the men, often in water, drenched through and smattered with clay and dirt. They deserve all they earn, were it twice as much. A visit to the " city of the dead shows that all is not gold glitters, how many a tale is recorded of the prematurely cut off, that a hastening to be rich has only proved a hasten ing to death. Referring to tombstones, they are often notable and impudent liars. There is an epitaph in "Gods acre," at Greymouth, which so out Herods all that poor human nature could ever have merited, that its perusal be- ! comes absolutely disgusting. This piece . of unblushing flattery is placed over the , grave of a deceased wife by her husband , and reads thus : —

Remember thee ! Aye while memory holds A seat in this distracted globe. Here lies of A woman of infinite tenderness and generous impulses Whose ear was evor open to a tale of distress And whose purse was always open to alleviate A woman who in life had the privi.ege of meeting on level ground That good and reverent man who lies b utb from this " When each were about their several ways ot mercy;" A woman who was a pattern wife. For surely her husband's word was law, and sue made him her god. _ , , A woman who gave fair opportunities in her youth, and the lively sympathies of her sex in middle life, might have attained a ripe old A woman who in short for large lieartedness unselfishness, integrity, and piety, tis few

could compare. This block, poor tribute of respect, placed here in loving memory by the man to whom this woman gave all her wealth of loye; is a ing reproach to those who failed in their When'sick unto death for seventeen months, She lay a thynkynge, .a thynkynge, a thynkynge. Ah 1 countrymen, if when you make your prayers God should be so obdurate as yourselves. How would it fare with your departed souls ? . Abide with me, fast falls the eventide, etc.

Feeling almost as confused as the inscription itself, we pass on from the place of graves. . We next visit Brunnerton, which is eight milss from Greymonth. At this place is mined all the coal shipped from the district. Of the four mines only two are being worked. We were courteously shown over the works bv Mr Bishop, manager of the Brunner mine. The seam averages from 16ft to 17ft in thickness, and is worked on the level free, whilst at the neighbouring mine, " The Coal Pit Heath," the coal has to be raised from an incline shaft through the Brunner mine, connected with which mine there ate also extensive works for the manufacture of coke and til-e-clay goods. The Midland railway (Christchurch section) is constructed as far as Lake Brunner (distance 20 miles), and as far as Reefton (distance 40 miles) on the Nelson section. By the latter section we proceed and arrive at Reefton, after a journey of about three hours. This town is situated on the banks of the Inangahua river, and has a very pretty appearance, being completely hemmed in by high hills. A few miles up the river is Crushington, where , the Gold Globe Battery is at work. Not only are gold mines in operation on both sides of the riVer, but several coal seams are laid ba,re' from which the local demand is abundantly supplied.Next morning we start en route for Nelson, and attar a pleasant drive we reach the point at which the turbid waters of the Inangahua join the beautiful clear waters of the Buller, the latter keeping their own side for some distance before they finally co-mingle. AH the afternoon our way lies along the right bank of the Buller, which goes surging and foaming on its tumultuous way to the ocean. One of the most noteworthy pictures of this day s drive is the little township of_ Lyell. Seen at a distance it has a charming and picturesque appearance. It consists of one curved street cut out the aide of a steep hill. Goldfield towns generally lead a terrible up-all-night life while the streams of Pactolus flow fast, but let these slacken, they soon become unkempt and out at the .elbows. Lyell is an unfortunate example of this and yet money cannot be very scarce as we heard of an exhorbitant rent being paid for a small piece.of,land adjoining the township, Leaving Lyell we speed along, now as-cending-we leave the rushing torrent far below: our narrow ledge, then descending

till almost at the river's brink, while as we suddenly turn a curve, all further progress seems cut off by a huge mountain planted right in front of us, when soon another sharp turn reveals a way of escape from the apparent difficulty. Fern Flat is reached aud left far behind, ana at length when the shades of niglit are prevailing we reach Longford, our halting place for the night. _ Next morning an early start is made from this comfortable little hostelry, and we are soon bowling along by the side of our friend of yesterday, the Buller, for a couple of hours, when we leave its basin for that of oue of its tributaries, the Hope. We soon ascend the Hope Saddle, from whose summit we have a magnii ficent display of mountain ranges on i both sides. Descending, a further run of twenty miles is made through a heavilyi wooded country, with here and there . a clearing, till we reach Spooner's Range, from the summit of which we get a bird's l eye view of the Waimea Valley, with its c townships and cosy homesteads nestling I at the baee of the great hills, which % partially surround aud protect them b "from every cold blast that can blow," y while beyond are the Port Hills, which II hide the town of Nelson from our sight, i, and the - placid waters of Blind Bay,

stretching away in the distance. A. speedy descent noon brings us to 15c)l----grove, and the terminus of Nelson's only line of railway, twenty-two miles in length, and by which the last stage of a very pleasant and enjoyable journey is made. I cannot cnnitludi* without referrinsr to the open huudi'd hospitality of flio West Const people, th- urbanity of the various coachmen, and their willinguess to answer our numerous queries, all adding to the enjoyment of a tour wo would willingly have prolonged.