Overview
Sun. Aug. 18
Left at 9.25 on the black pony for an excursion to the hills at the back of Hon. Johnson's Oruawharo Station. Called at the homestead and got permission from the manager, Mr R. A. Fraser, to leave horse in a yard. The homestead buildings are almost innumerable - big old-fashioned house, huge woolshed, men's whares, married men's cottages, stables, etc, etc, + the grounds well laid out, but now only partially looked after. Behind the house is the usual
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hill, planted in this case with an immense plantation. Set out on foot for hills at the back + traversed part of the newly-formed road leading to returned soldiers' sections. From near the "old homestead" took a 1/4 pl[ate] photo (8) of three of the peaks of Rangitoto LimestoneRange showing the two air gaps between. Ascended spur to north end of the Oruawharo Range, as I have named it, + took a 1/2 pl. photo (9) of the northern part of the dissected scarp of the Rangitoto Range, trib[utary] of Maharakeke Stm in foreground, Takapau throughone of the gaps,+ Ruahines + Ruataniwha Plain where the Makeretu crosses it, beyond. Some of the shallow gullies in the sides of the Oruawharo range have the peculiar feature of a long narrow spur starting in the middle of the lower part of the gully + extending outwards on to the flatter ground. All this country is covered with native grass with patches of a wiry shrub + a bright yellow moss, + clumps of cabbage trees in the hollows. Shingle-slips stream down from some of the rock outcrops.
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The Oruawharo Range is composed of what appears to be a fine-grained sandstone, or a mudstone, much weathered at the outcrops + dip of beds not certain, but probably the same as the limestone range. The Oruawharo Range at its northern end has a fairly broad top but wouthward it narrows to a razor-back + then widens again. Further south it continues as isolated sugarloafs separated by deepgullies leasing to the Maharakeke. Onthe west side of the main oruawharo ridge is another great rounded ridge of equal height + same rock-formation - a low saddle connects it with the main ridge. Traversed main ridge + descended to the low saddle + then followed the Maharakeke-Porangahau divide to the limestone range. The three southern gaps through it are water-gaps+ tribs. of the Porangahau pass through to join the main stream on the Plain. Took a 1/4 pl. photo (10) of the more northerly + the smallest of the three water-gaps North of thisthe gapsin the limestone range are airgaps, the Porangahau tribs that originally cut them having been
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captured by an active tributary of the Maharakeke. Passed through the most southerly airgap + descended the backslope of the range and on to the road leading to Takapau. Cruised round for a while to find a suitable spot + finally took a 1/2 pl. photo form water-tanks at rly stn (11) of the back slope of part of the Rangitoto Limestone Range showing two air-gaps + one water-gap (on left) at 1.15pm. Then started for home, making a bee-line for the water-gap near north end of the limestone range. Crossed the Porangahau Stm, which is entrenched about 30 ft below the level of the plain. Many kinds of shrubs grow on the gravel bank leading down to the river - white mapau, five-finger + silver mapau etc. On the low bank of the stream three or four feet of bright red current-bedded gravel rests on a layerof blue-grey coherent silt containing shell-fragments. The greater part of the gravels of the stream bed are greywacke-argillite-red chert pebbles derived from Ruahines. A tiny stream occupies the water-gap in the limestone ridge + I saw patches of Wild Irishman. The limestone
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blocks which have rolled down from the outcrop on east summit of the ridge are most picturesque. The series of basins + rolling hills between this the Oruawharo homestead form a fine piece of country diversified by dense patches of cabbage-tree "bush" in the shade of which groups of polled angus cattle were grazing. East of the limestone range there is a ridge of shell-rock. The sequence of start from Takapau to Waipuk. seems to be as follows:- Compact limestone, shell-rock, fine sandstone, some softer strata, compat limstone, shell rock + again softer strata. Continuing I traversed the huge plantation behind the Oruawharo homestad + got back to the pony at 2.30pm. On way home noted the very wide loop formerly followed by the Maharakeke Stream (see sketch map) near the west end of Mr Herd's farm. The stream finally cut thro' the neck of the smaller one + thus gained its present course of fully 1/2 a mile less. On getting home found that Maud had another fainting attack but was better - took
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it easy rest of the day + at tea celebrated Mrs Herd's 59th birthday.
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[High resolution image of whole page is available by scrolling through images attached to George Leslie Adkin personal diary, May 1917-February 1919