Overview
Fri. Oct. 31
One of the Winiatas's lifted the 26 steers remarking that he thought them a good line. Clif motored me down to catch the Napier mail train en route for Hatuma. At the east end of the Manawatu Gorge there is a prominent bed of limestone tilted to an angle of 30° or more dipping east + it appears to be underlain by a compact coarse conglomerate as large blocks of this rock lie in the lower hillslopes alongside rly. line. High-level
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gravels forming flat-topped hills and ridges occur alongside the Maharahara Stm. The Topuata R. which crosses the rly. north of Tahoraiti has a shingly bed surmounted by a flight of six terraces on its right bank and one high terrace on left bank :-
[sketch]
The peculiar river north of Ormondville, characterised by deep water and a sharply winding course, is I now find, simply a rejuvenated stream - trench dammed by the rly. - it is a tributary of the Manawatu which crosses the line a little further north. The trench occupied by the Manawatu is open, the spurs which formerly projected into the bends having been entirely removed, leaving a flat on which the river still pursues a meandering course. Arrived in Takapau about 4pm - Maud, Nancy & Olive met me with trap. On way to farm I took a 1/2 pl photo (1) of the Takapau–Rangitoto limestone Ridge with Rangitoto in the distance showing backslopes & strike scarps in profile. Found all well at the farm – Clyde holding on to a chair & ^ with grandmies (sp.?) help, striding up & down the verandah in fine style. After tea Maud and I went for a moonlight walk around the house & under the pines & had adventures. Later played a hard fought game of chess which Maud won. Nancy & Clyde looking A1 but Maud not as good as I had expected.