Overview
Fri Nov 14
Sausages for breakfast, excellent flavour + a great treat. The inlying squadron for today was “F”, so we spent morning
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– sweeping up horse-lines in Garrison Hall yard + carting refuse up to Mount Cook Barrack grounds for burning. From the summit of Mount Cook one gets a fine view of harbour + also W[ellin]gton College + Government House. A paddock is now required for injured + sick horses + Freyberg (Sergeant for “F” Squadron) got orders to pick up four men + interview Mr Fitchett of Brooklyn who has a paddock to spare. After dinner we (Freyberg, Tom Vincent, Jack + Ivor Bartholomew + self) set out + rode to Brooklyn via Ohiro Road. The electric trams run up to this suburb in big cuttings by a very torturous route. Brooklyn is now quite populous, a striking example of the growth of W'gton. A grand view of the harbour + the Tararua + Rimutakas beyond is obtained. At centre of Brooklyn we turned off westward up a steep street to a hill road – from a knob beside this the view of the City + harbour was even more extensive + magnificent, being spread out below
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like a lovely map. We turned into Fitchett’s farm + went up road to house + cowsheds – deep gullies radiate in all directions – hinau logs on hillsides which formerly were covered with hinau + rata bush. In the north stood out the Tinakori range with the wireless station + the suburb of Northlands – our altitude about 1000 ft. The big gully to west of Fitchett’s farm contains, we were told, the Karori Reservoir. We were directed to Mr Fitchett’s house in Brooklyn. Got directions from the old man + rode down the Ohiro Valley to see paddock. A narrow valley gently sinuous – road runs down bottom – steep lateral hillsides. About 2 miles down we reached paddock about 90 acres of good grass – situated in corner of main + branch roads + watered by Ohiro Stream – a couple of woolsheds + several cottages just here. Returned to City + rode down to Glasgow Wharf via Willis St + Lambton Quay. I was appointed
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Topographer-in-chief (pro tems) + drew up an elaborate plan of proposed horse-paddock from notes taken on the spot. This was handed [to] Colonel Russel [sic] by Freyberg when he made his report. After excellent afternoon-tea provided by the Red Cross Soc. ladies, we returned to camp via Taranaki, Haining + Tory Streets – a good climax to a great afternoon. There are now 10 steamers working at wharf + the new Waterside (scab!) Union has a membership of 540. Wrote Maud. In evening another concert – excellent items by Kenny, Ted Hill, Newton etc. Dirctly after concert 1st + 3rd Troops of “F” Squad called on parade and at 10 pm we left for Manawatu Rly [Railway] Station to escort a batch of new arrivals to camp. A lovely night + the lights in streets and on harbour were lovely. When the train arrived we found that there were about 50 in the batch many of whom had been down before. We we[re] kept waiting a long time so did not
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leave for camp till 11.30 pm. On going + return the streets were deserted except for a few policemen + nightbirds. On return to camp hot coffee + bread + butter were served to us + we turned in at 12.30 am.