Boating on the Waiau.

Satisfactorily installed at Murrell's accommodation house, and the steamer being away for the day with soother party of visitors, we decided to spend an hour or two of the afternoon on the Waiau River. The owner of the steamer, Mr Dore, has a good boat, and this we obtained permission to use. It held our party of five and our driver comfortably, and we enjoyed the three-quarters of an hour we spent going down the stream very much indeed. The western side of the river is densely bushclad, beech predominating as it does everywhere in these far-western districts, but the light, feathery foliage of the kowhai and the smaller vegetation which crowds the banks give variety to the scene. The kowhai's flowering time was unfortunately over, but a couple of months earlier it must have been a mass of bloom. We were compensated, however, by occasional glimpses of rata and mistletoe in flower, and, lazily drifting down the beautiful river, we thoroughly enjoyed the change from our previous three days' driving. But the current was strong, and we began to realise that the three-quarters of an hour's pleasant progress downstream meant a good stiff pull of perhaps two hours on the return.