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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 13, Issue 11 (January 1, 1939)

Hurdle Jumping Excelled

Hurdle Jumping Excelled.

A variation in the Matai's corkscrew wallowing during the early hours of her trip down the West Coast to Kaipara indicated that we were at last making for a sheltered harbour. The sand dunes were still a hazy blur on the horizon when the Matai commenced to do a couple of extra knots, running for the coast on the long rollers of a following sea. It resembled hurdle jumping on the large scale, and when I remarked that this seemed like crossing the bar, the surprising answer came that we were actually on the Kaipara Bar, nearly seven miles out to sea. The explanation is that a great sand drift works up the West Coast from the South making its mark for many miles in the dunes ashore, but that the strong flow of water through Kaipara Heads keeps the sand well out to sea.

Racing in on these great rollers, the Matai found quiet anchorage just around the northern headland, at the Maori village of Poutu, and work commenced at once on buoys and beacons, so essential in this area of sand-banks and strong currents. It had been a quick run into harbour, helped by the following sea, but getting out again would be a problem unless the southerly died down. So, as the journalistic jobs ashore began to call, and there were coming appointments to consider, the journalist somewhat reluctantly forsook the uncertainties of sea travel for the train, an all-night run on the river steamer enabling an early morning connection to be made with the rail for Auckland at Helensville, and so to join the fast and comfortable Limited to Wellington, with the assurance that deep depressions crossing the Tasman would introduce no uncertainties about arriving at 9.30 a.m.

“Farthest North” in New Zealand—Cape Maria Van Diemen.

“Farthest North” in New Zealand—Cape Maria Van Diemen.