There Was Gold in Them Thar Hills (Mākara Sunday Trip)

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THERE WAS GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS (Makara Sunday Trip, Feb. 9th) until reaching the range behind the History repeated itself in the accommodation house of Mr. Sievform of a minor gold rush when 22 ers (we disembarked from a bods from Wellington's most dis- wheeled quadruped at this stage). tinguished club set off to seek their "After a severe struggle (he fortunes at the old Makara Gold wasn't kidding) we managed to Mines one Sunday recently. reach the top of the range, and Much eager speculation before- when there, had serious thoughts hand as to the huge quantities of as to the manner of getting down gold we would pick up, must have again. We did reach the bottom been the reason for such a large but not in a very dignified manner crowd of us. (we slid down one hill too). A spot of research after the event "After following the bed of a turned up, some interesting facts stream for some miles (we did not about the Terawhiti Mines as they make it that far) "our first view were known. Gold was found in of Terawhiti was obtained. Another payable quantities prior to 1883 in climb and we were in the City of true fissures of a substantial thick- Gold." ness whenever uncovered and the Then follows a working, descripstone showed gold to the naked eye. tion of each of eight mining com- A road of 135 chains was made panies' operations. As we stopped from Oteronga Bay to the machine at the first signs of a mine, we site. Apparently there was suffi- did not find evidence of any more cient gold to provide work for a than the one. large number of miners. Some fascinating machinery com- Bishop's "Guide to Wellington plete with rust, caused Joe B. to 1883" also contained an excellent expound at great length on the account of a journey to the gold- various uses of each. fields, and as 75 years makes little Speculation on perhaps making difference in the telling, I will use our fortunes out of scrap iron inhis account with a few bracketed stead of gold were considered imextras of my own. practical owing to the size and "Tempted to séek my fortune in weight of bipeds to do the transcompany with a companion (plural porting. for us) I started from The City of Some energetic bods-er prospecthe Hills for Terawhiti. tors, went haring up the almost "Unlike my predecessors who vertical hillside containing the have written glowing accounts of excavations and a short tunnel. the road by land and water, I nei- The wise ones remained horizontal ther travelled in Her Majesty's co- after their lunches. lonial sloop "Stella" nor did I trust After a suitable interval our inmyself aboard a quadruped (ade- trepid leader, who incidentally conquate description of our trip leader) sidered us in turn as sheep, husky but armed with a stick and some dogs, and ships of the desert, 'tucker' (not so T. Bain) tramped roused us to great efforts with refrom Wellington to Terawhiti, a marks such as "Mush mush you distance of about 18 miles, and was lazy lot" and "Arise my camels" much impressed by the numerous after a well earned rest, and "Wuff rises on the road (him, us, and wuff wuff" when rounding us up truck driver also). and keeping us together. "We had no idea how many miles We were fortunate in having a we were above the surface of the newly cut road to follow most of sea when reaching Karori, but it the way. but this did not prevent seemed so far in the clouds that we leader, Barnao, and Catchpole huddwere tempted to retrace our stepsling over maps, etc., to determine in the coach (piker). However, not our route. Mind you as I had to be beaten bva few mountains ranidly adopted the rearward posi- (brave fella) wewent on. tion. I did not object to frequent "After passing the snug little vil- conferences as they meant much lage of Makara we trudged along needed rests.

There was no cover from the sun WRITE-UPS: Let's have those ànd the wind, which succeeded in accounts of new and interesting reducing me to a walking burnt trips for the Journal. offering. So in spite of not making TRIP-LEADERS: Are you taking a fortune and being immobilised by the first-aid kit on your trips? sunburn, I and 21 others enjoyed Ivan Wilson has left us to work a very interesting trip. and live in the South Island, some Our companions were- Judith twaddle about jet-planes! Sorry to Walker, Lalage Outram, Dot Chris- see you go Ivan, y'know, we didn't tie, Ethel Carter, Lesley Judd, think you'd take any notice of what Karen Melchoir, Karin Boswell, Ray we said about you on the Ati- Brandeis, Dave Catchpole, Bernie Whakatu trip! Napp, Derek Finnigan, Joe Barnao, Heard on a trip recently: Trevor Johnson, Trevor (J. D. Bain, Dave Borley, John Nixon, Bill Tids- New little girl to friend out for wall, Les Sisley (leader), the Gra- the first time and listening to ham Brothers, and Gretta. stories about searches, etc., "If I get lost I'm going straight home!" KARIN B.