Identifier: throughsouthwest00more (find matches)
Title: Through South Westland : A journey to the Haast and Mount Aspiring New Zealand
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Moreland, A. Maud
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Whitcomb & Tombs
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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all desolate. And when the afternoon cameon, the rain came too, and we rode with headsdown against a tearing south-west storm, thatdeluged us with sheets of water. Those wereforty-four long miles. I only remember a wetstony road, the brim of my hat pouring a veilof water across my eyes and Transomes figure infront in a long black oilskin and sou-wester,bearing an absurd likeness to a fireman whohad been played upon by the hose. But all things come to an end, and we sawthe welcome end-gable of the Bealey Hotel ona rise above us. The greeting we got wascharacteristic: Och! what-iver brought yees out suchweather ? Its been raining here for a fortnight,and more ! Shure this was a mad journey foryees to be making ! Dear, dear ! But once inside, our kind host and hostess gaveus a warm welcome for they knew us well, and Iwas set down beside a roaring fire, my wet coatremoved, and being offered something hot todrink, before I well knew where I was. It made no matter that the hotel was already
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X c JB^ > THKOUGH THE OTIRA. 5 taxed to its utmost: that men would have tosleep in dining-rooms—even in bath-rooms andpassages—while women and babies filled the upperrooms. Somehow, there was a spare room for me—somehow, we had a good supper, and not oneof the crowd but was made welcome. The conges-tion was all due to the Westland Kailway terminusbooking everybody who wanted a Christmasticket to Christchurch—without any regard tothe number it was possible to convey. At thattime the railway on the west only reached as faras Otira, some sixteen miles from this, while theeastern section stopped at Broken River, at leastas far away again in the opposite direction.Between the two lay the long coach drive, acrossrivers unfordable for foot passengers ; up and downover the ranges, which would one day all be tun-nelled and the lines connected. But that happyday was still in the future, and here was a crowd ofthirty odd, dimaped on the top of the Bealey,while their friends waited for

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