Page 10 - pākuViews Autumn/Winter 2013

A School Teacher’s
Nerve-wracking Ride
From Puriri to Tairua
In the 1920s, G.H. Roche was appointed sole teacher to
Tairua school at a salary of £160 a year with free house in
lieu of the authorised “remote allowance” of £30. Having
been advised that district roads were not suitable for
motorcycles, he left his machine behind and took the
Thames train to Puriri. The packhorse mailman, Stanley
Morrison, called at nine the following morning with an extra
horse and the 32-mile journey to Tairua began. Roche wrote
his memoir in 1971:
For some three miles the road led up the bed of a stream as far as Bill
Pulliene’s orchard, and it then wound steadily upward for about seven
miles along the Neavesville track. The grade, though tortuous, was easy
enough, but the drop to the right got more terrifying toward the summit.
My memory of the two worst places on a rock face commonly called “The
Bluffs” was a view of the horse’s ears out-lined against a blue sky and a
2,000 ft. void to the right!
It was disconcerting, too, to have my horse daintily picking his way on the
extreme outside edge of the track, while the pack-horses jostled each
other for position to avoid the muddy centre. Stanley did not add much to
my comfort when he casually remarked that he had lost one stupid horse
over the bank the previous week and it took four days to retrieve the pack
from the dead animal.
Before long Neavesville was reached. There was a clattering of hooves
and a tiny figure on a tiny Shetland pony came into view. He was followed
by 3 or 4 other Shetlands, all loose, each with its pack-saddle to which
was fastened two five-gallon barrels of beer. The rider was Martin Grace
(4 ft. nothing, in stature), licensee of the Neavesville Hotel.
These little agile ponies, each carrying more than one hundredweight,
made the journey from Puriri to Neavesville in an hour less than the pack-
horse mail-train. Martin and his wife could produce a hot meal at any
hour, day or night. Lunch consisted of soup, cold boiled fowl and scones
with raspberry jam, and of course, tea. “I believe in a good feed”, said
Mrs. Grace, “but it will cost you a shilling”. (Never was a shilling more
willingly paid!)
From Neavesville, there was a breath-taking view, with the sea in the
distance and the long arm of the Tairua River stretching inland. “See
that hill with the two peaks”, said Stanley, “that is where I am taking
you, but you will have a fresh horse at Hikuai, as the one you have
doesn’t like swing bridges”. I found later I had reason to agree with the
horse’s opinion.
The next shock occurred when the clay track led down-hill, then abruptly
stopped. At this point the mail carrier indicated the winding road to the
right, “You will have to come up that road coming back, but in coming
in, we take the short cut. It saves a couple of miles”. Stanley calmly
turned his horse over the edge, and he and the three pack-horses simply
disappeared. The writer’s horse, anxious to do the same, was with
difficulty restrained till a reassuring voice from somewhere below called
out, “Leave the reins, hold his mane with one hand and his tail with the
other – he knows what to do”. The amazing beast squatted on the edge
of the cliff with hind legs doubled under him, and with forelegs braced,
slid down the few hundred feet with lightning rapidity. Amazingly, too, the
writer was still aboard and was even able to breathe after the blood had
left his nails.
The track now continued along the stony bed of the upper reaches of the
Tairua River, crossing the stream many times. An enormous Kauri stump
came into view, and there was a pond and a wooden dam. There were
plenty of logs about, but they seemed to have been felled for some time.
The journey continued, and the scene changed remarkably. A splendid
metalled road lay ahead, and what seemed to be a replica of Goldsmith’s
Deserted Village. It was Puketui, a once-thriving goldmining township,
represented by a tiny post office and farm, run by the Veiera family, and
deserted dwellings. The well-kept acres of hills were in marked contrast
to the paintless grey shacks.
by G.H. Roche
Overlook the vineyard and
sparkling waters of Mercury
Bay, while enjoying a delicious
platter of local food matched
to your choice of our wines.
VINEYARD & CELLAR DOOR
Phone 07 866 4066 for bookings or just call in. Children welcome.
Check our website for details on current events and live music afternoons during summer.
Cathedral Cove Shuttle Mob: 027 422 589
Catch the ferry fromWhitianga to Cooks Beach - just 3.5 km from the landing.
Summer Hours: Labour weekend to Easter - 10am to 5pm daily
Winter Hours: Easter to Labour weekend - 11.30am to 4pm weekends only
available for gold
coin donationfare
Mondays Play free Poker in nZ series of Poker
Tuesdays Toss the Boss flip a coin to see who pays 7pm-7.30pm
Wednesdays Steak Night $20 steak meal
Thursdays Pool competition $2 to play, $50 bar tab to the winner
Fri/saT $20 Burger and Beer Deal rugby and League LiVe
sundays Kids Eat Free from kids menu (1 child free per paying adult)
8 PAKU VIEWS ISSUE 7 AUTUMN/WINTER 2013