Overview
Sun. Jan. 11.
Miss Brown, Vivian & I left Woodside at 7 am in gig for the Mangahao works at the back of Shannon. Reached "Honeymoon Farm" at the bridge over Mangaore at 8:55 am & leaving gig there proceeded on foot. Reached old tramline at side of Tokomaru Valley Road at 9:25 & ascended tramline. Saddle at 10:10. Took a 1/2 pl[ate] photo (1) from tramline halfway down east side of Te Paki Ridge of the main camp of the workmen engaged on the hydro-electric scheme. We counted 32 tents & 5 or 6 wooden or ruberoid huts which include cook-house engineers office etc. A well graded service road now runs up the valley of the Arapete Stream – following more or less the line of the bridle track – & then bears off to the east round the spurs which
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run down from Arapete (Tokomaru)–Mangahao divide. The road runs into the bush & at present terminates just north of trig. Z. We passed through the camp at 10:45, following the road & then took the track up the spur – the route of Feb. 28th last. Reached edge of bush at top of spur at 11:30 & had a snack. Followed ridge, descended zig-zag & reached Blackwood Creek at 12:15. Miss Brown & Viv were much struck by the scenery of the Blackwood. ½ pl photo (2) of the creek looking down-stream a few chains below zig-zag. Reached Mangahao at 12:43 & No 1. Gorge (the site of the future dam) at 1:15. Photo (3) of the gorge (distant view) & (4) the gorge (rear view with self & Miss Brown in foreground). Owing to the sunless day the scenery of both the Blackwood & the Mangahao was seen to better advantage than on the former occasion. No.1. Gorge appears to have been formed as follows: At one time the Mangahao Valley was somewhat deeper & rather more winding than at present. During the Early Pleistocene the river filled up the valley with shingle etc. Lateral corrosion then widened and straightened the valley to a slight extent, truncating the broad spurs which projected into the former [illegible] bends of the slightly winding
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valley and forming rock platforms. At No.1. Gorge the Mangahao incised its present channel into one of these rock platforms. The gravel-filled Tertiary valley lies to the east of the rocky gorge. The observations supporting the above theory are paralleled by evidence in the Ohau Valley. Left No.1. Gorge at 1:25 – Blackwood Junction 1:55 – photo (5) ½ way up Blackwood Creek – left Blackwater 2:20 – photo (6) on the zig-zag – left record of our visit pencilled on a [illegible] tree on track at branch track to trig Z, passed main camp at 3:40. Reached "Honeymoon Farm" at 5:5 & Woodside at 6:55. A very successful day, carried through without a hitch & Miss Brown & Viv tramped splendidly. They are probably the first ladies to reach No.1. Gorge. Maud had a good dinner ready for us.