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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 5, Issue 4 (August 1, 1930)

Over the Range

Over the Range.

We traversed those alluvial flats of the Ohura basin, all densely timbered then, where townships and farmhouses stand to-day. We left the Huatahi levels, with their continuous roof of leaves uplifted on enormous pillars of pine and rata and tawa, and climbed the steep Paparata Range—the railway route tunnels through it now —that separates the valleys of the Ohura and the Tangarakau. We heard from Julian and Puhi about the ruggedness of the Tangarakau Gorge that lay ahead of us. “A rough shop” was page 26 Julian's summing up of the wildest part of our trail. Jackson Palmer chanted hearteningly as he stumbled patiently on:

“One more river,
That's the Tangarakau;
One more river,
One more river to cross.”

“Just you wait till to-morrow, old man,” said Hursthouse over his shoulder; “you won't be singing frivolous chanteys about the Tangarakau
The Railway Settlement at Tangarakau Flat. (Rly. Publicity photo.) Tangarakau Flat is about fifty miles from Stratford. In the foreground is shewn the power house for generating electricity for tunnelling operations, and (centre) the playing ground made by the railway construction gangs.

The Railway Settlement at Tangarakau Flat.
(Rly. Publicity photo.)
Tangarakau Flat is about fifty miles from Stratford. In the foreground is shewn the power house for generating electricity for tunnelling operations, and (centre) the playing ground made by the railway construction gangs.

then.” And as we had reached a spot on the steep down-slant of the range where there was just enough room to camp, the Boss gave the signal to halt by backing to a rock and wriggling out of his pikau straps, and in a few moments Puhi's axe was ringing, clearing the ground for our bivouac. That night we burned some coal in our fire. In the Paparata Creek bed, as we descended the range, there was a solid ledge of coal, an outcrop six feet thick; the water fell over it in a little cascade. Some day, we prophesied as we watched that coal burning, a big coal field would be developed here, and maybe keep the railway running.