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Variety in Brief

Recently when reading a Chronology of New Zealand, I was struck with the following information concerning the beginnings of the North Auckland Railway. Tabulated the items read:—

1875, October 29th, Helensville-Kumeu Railway opened.

1880, March 27th, Waikomiti-Auckland Railway opened.

1880, December 21st, Henderson-Wai-komiti Railway opened.

1881, July 18th, Kumeu-Henderson Railway opened.

These statements would suggest that railway communication was finally established between the city of Auckland and Helensville on the lastmentioned date, but the manner in which the two places were connected is puzzling to anyone who knows the line to-day.

It appears that a railway ran from Helensville to Kumeu in 1875, but the reason for such a line is not equally apparent. Why anyone should select Helensville as the starting point of a railway and then run trains to Kumeu of all places, is a very difficult question to answer.

Not till five years later did trains run from Auckland to Waikomiti where a large burial ground had just previously been opened. Even this left a gap which was ultimately closed in 1881, and settlers of this No Man's Land must have cast envious glances north and south during the intervening time.

At this time in our history, Auckland was the centre of population, and was rapidly increasing in importance. It seems logical to suppose that railway construction should have begun and radiated from the city in an endeavour to extend business activity, but this apparently was not done. The chronology from which these items were taken is reputedly a good one, and at the time of publication received excellent reports from its reviewers. It is, therefore, difficult to understand why such a piecemeal method of construction was followed in the opening stages of our railways. Perhaps some reader of this page can supply fuller details.

—C.R.G.

* * *

The beauty-lovers of Westland are for ever discovering something new and lovely about their district, especially if they venture off the beaten track of tourists. The spectacle will not be awe-inspiring grandeur such as some of the famous beauty-spots offer, but it will perhaps offer a delicate, unique loveliness instead.

A few miles out of Hokitika, a wide, bush road branches off the Hoki-tika-Ross highway, and this road leads to Mount Misery. Mount Misery! The name does not convey to one a scene of beauty—yet, names are more than often misleading, don't you think?

It was in the cool of a summer evening when I followed this track, which was a decidedly eccentric one, and it twisted and turned and climbed continuously, until I began to wonder where all this guessing would lead me. Ferns grew profusely on either side, and sometimes, I came upon a little bush cottage, or prospector's hut snuggling among the trees.

Soon, the surrounding bush grew thicker, and the shadows deepened. Towards the end, the track was overgrown with moss, ferns and grass, and shortly it opened out into a wide, natural clearing. I climbed a mossy rise, and behold—I had reached the overlook of Mount Misery! I was at journey's end. Below me was a sheer drop. Far down in that emerald dizziness, I could see the dark-green of the trees, but the valley was fastly becoming enveloped in shadow. Koiterangi lay stretched in a glorious panorama before me. White farm-houses could be discerned in the distance, with the darkening heights of the Southern Alps behind, and roadside lakes were turned to a livid, molten gold in the shimmering sunset light. The faint trickle of a creek down in the depths of the gulley reached my ears. Rata grew in lovely, scarlet cascades, and tumbled in a splash of rich colour over the edge of the cliff.

I returned through the amethyst, bush-scented dusk; the twinkling lights of the prospector's huts sent out a happy cheerio to me—the sole adventurer to Mount Misery!

—“Aroha.”