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See Your Own Country First!
Dunedin sunshine social club's excursion to greymouth.

(By “Dunedinite.”)

The Dunedin Sunshine Social Club, with a membership of 700, has been in existence for one year. Among its activities a prominent place is given to the arrangement of railway excursions to various scenic resorts in the South Island. One of the most successful excursions of the kind was run from Dunedin to Greymouth on 1st June, two trains being necessary to convey the large number of excursionists who wished to avail themselves of this unique opportunity of viewing the rugged grandeur of Arthur's Pass and the world-famed scenery of the West Coast. The Dunedin Highland Pipe Band which accompanied the excursion, added to the gaiety of the departure, punctually at 9 p.m.

Soon after leaving Dunedin the party quickly settled down in the comfortable steam-heated carriages, some to play cards, others to curl up with pillows and rugs to sleep. Stops were made at Palmerston, Oamaru, and Ashburton, for refreshments, and, without any untoward incident, Rolleston was reached at 5.0 a.m. Here the engine and van were reversed, and with a minimum of delay the excursionists were quickly on their way across the Canterbury Plains towards Arthur's Pass and the Southern Alps, which could be seen, first, as faint silhouettes against the western sky, and then in the gathering light of early dawn, in all their majestic beauty.

At Springfield, a further stop was made for refreshments, and, resuming the journey, the party was soon wide awake, enjoying the grandeur of the alpine scenery, as the first rays of the sun heralding a glorious mid-winter's day, tinted the tops of the snow-clad mountains. Arthur's Pass was reached at about 7.30 a.m., and the magnificence of the scenery, so far-famed, was revealed in all its glory.

After the novelty of the 5 1/4 mile trip through the Otira tunnel, Otira was reached at 8 a.m., where breakfast was served. Leaving Otira, the panorama changed somewhat, mist, in places, unfortunately obscuring the true beauty of the bush-fringed lake and river scenery.

Greymouth was reached at 10.30 a.m., where a real West Coast welcome was extended to the visitors by the Runanga Caledonian Pipe Band and local residents. The excursionists soon felt at home in Greymouth, and after a stroll round the town reassembled at the station at noon, to extend a welcome to the Club's sister organisation, the Christchurch Corsair Club, numbering close on four hundred, who had also selected Greymouth as their destination for the week-end.

Arrangements having been made to visit places of interest in and around Greymouth, a special train, conveying the majority of the combined parties left at 1.30 p.m. for a trip up the beautiful bush-clad Rewanui Incline, to inspect the workings of the State Coal Mine. An official of the Railway Department accompanied the excursionists on this trip and kindly explained the various mining activities en route, thus adding considerable interest to the outing.

On arrival at Rewanui a short walk through the winding gorge, richly covered with beautiful native bush and ferns, brought the party to the mouth of the tunnel, where a real thrill was provided by a ride on the hoist for about 600 yards up to the mine workings. This conveyance, used to transport employees to and from the mine, is worked on the same principle as a cable car, and rises for about 600 feet in the distance travelled through the tunnel to the head of the gorge. A delightful afternoon was spent inspecting the machinery at the mine head, visitors being conducted round the premises by official guides kindly supplied by the Mines Superintendent. The party returned to Greymouth at 5 p.m. much impressed with what they had seen.

In the evening a concert in the Opera House, the Pipe Band in attendance and assisted by local artists, was well patronised, and shortly afterwards the tired but happy excursionists wended their way back to the comfort of the warm, clean carriages, in preparation for the return journey. Including stops for refreshments, with breakfast at Oamaru, the long run home was completed in about 12 1/2 hours.

The efforts of the Dunedin Sunshine Social Club in organising such a thoroughly enjoyable excursion were very greatly appreciated, and increasing patronage for similar excursions in the future may be confidently anticipated.

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