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A Pastoral Visit to the Great
Barrier Island
from the Journal of the Rev. A. Baker, M.A. (Church Gazette.) March 1881 COPYRIGHT
I left Auckland January 19 in the cutter ‘Water Lily’; we had a fine breeze
right aft and ran down in about five hours to Port FitzRoy, the large
harbour at the north end. It will be necessary to describe this exquisite
harbour at some length so that the difficulties of ministration to the
settlers may be fully understood. The harbour is divided into two halves by
a large island called Kaikoura which runs across it, leaving only two very
narrow entrances into the great inner harbour of Port FitzRoy proper.
Northward of Kaikoura is a large open bay called Port Abercrombie.
Southwards about five miles of smooth water completely landlocked except by
the two narrow channels before mentioned. This great harbour is entirely
surrounded by hills and winds about in many bays stretching far inland; from
the tops of the hills most enchanting views are to be obtained.
Service being held, let us suppose, at some house inside the great harbour,
the Port Abercrombie settlers coming by boat have to enter Port FitzRoy by a
narrow channel at the east end of Kaikoura; they are exposed in certain
winds to a violent cross sea from outside which renders boating highly
dangerous, if not impossible. A long and wearying land journey is the only
alternative and this would be highly unpleasant in wet weather. At Port
FitzRoy I was hospitably entertained by Mr William Cooper, who has a very
nice house. On Thursday I visited Mr and Mrs Pittar at Kaiaraara whence is a
good track across the hills to Mr Cooper’s at Rarohara, at which place there
are three families, Mr and Mrs William Cooper, Mr and Mrs George Cooper and
Mr and Mrs Le Roy. In the afternoon Mr Cooper was good enough to go out with
me. We went by a good track into the next bay where Mr Samuel Cooper lives,
thence we went through the bush to Karaka Bay where lives Mr Edward Paddison.
I stayed with these three kind people for the night. I found they had
several unbaptised children whom they agreed to bring to me on the Sunday. I
spoke to the elder children about it and offered some explanation of the
baptismal service to the parents, but by their request, their baptism was
deferred until my return from Tryphena Bay.
Next day I went on to Mr Moor’s at Nagle Cove. He is the most distant of the
Port Abercrombie settlers. Here I found five young people still unbaptised.
I spent the night there and gave them some work by way of preparation,
engaging to baptise them on my return. The next day Mr Moor took me over in
his boat to Karaka Bay, whence I got back to Mr Cooper’s by land.
On Sunday the weather was all that could be desired. Nearly everybody came.
The service was held in Mr Cooper’s woolshed; we improvised a neat Communion
table and I placed my own vessels upon it, filling the space behind the
table with pohutukawa branches. Some 25 adults and a large number of
children were present. My organist was a bushman and our musice was that of
Moody and Sankey’s hymns. The people had not, many of them, been a church
for a long time and seemed unfamiliar with the service. Twelve remained to
Holy Communion. The collection amounted to £1.7.10. After service my good
host and hostess entertained the congregation at dinner. At the afternoon
service we were joined by a large party of the Flinn's, a Roman Catholic
family living at the other end of the harbour. We now removed to the open
air. I took my stand under a karaka tree, our font was a wash-hand basin,
hidden by pohutukawa branches and flowers. Four children were baptised. The
collection amounted to 17/9. After tea there was much discussion about
future prospects: Mr Paddisona nd Mr Cooper have offered to give some land
for a school and master’s house, thinking that the school may serve also for
public worship on Sundays. But one or two of the settlers live so far away
that it is very doubtful whether they would be benefited much by the plan.
No satisfactory arrangement had been come to when I left. There is a
Government teacher who takes week and wee about with each family. I was much
pleased with the Port FitzRoy people.
I started for Tryphena Bay on Monday evening, January 24th. It is quite
possible to go all the way by sea in calm weather and with a fair wind: this
is the best way, indeed, but I should not attempt it in bad weather. The
Coopers rowed me over to the Flinn’s where I spent the night. In the morning
I left these most kind people and proceeded up the creek in a boat with one
of the sons who piloted me through a lovely bush to the proper track. I soon
arrived at Whangaparapara where lives a Portuguese of the name of Silva, the
owner of Kaikoura. He was away but his wife kindly set refreshments before
me and gave me a guide to Blind Bay, my next place of call. The way lay over
a grand range known as the White Cliffs where there are hot springs. I spent
the night at Mr Sanderson’s house in the valley on the other side of the
hill. Some bushmen lodge there; I gave them a little address at evening
prayers. The next day Mr Sanderson piloted me by a good track to Mr
Watson’s. I arranged to have service for the Blind Bay people at his house
on Sunday afternoon. He then passed me on, showing me the right track. I now
crossed over two more bays, in each of which lived a single man named Ryan.
I called at both houses but saw neither of the occupants. The track then
leads to the top of a steep range, for the first time I was quite at a loss,
there were three tracks, one to the right, one to the left and one straight
on. The solution of the difficulty is to turn sharp to the right and then
sharp to the left and then all is clear.
There are seven families altogether in Blind Bay; tree are Roman Catholics
but these do not seem to have been ever visited by their priest. From Blind
Bay to Tryphena Bay there is an excellent track, partly by bullock road but
I took a guide as the track crosses the bush. A little off the road lives a
man named Whittle whom I did not see. The next small settlement is Schooner
Bay where there are two English families and two or three Portuguese living
in whares; the people were all very civil and nearly all came to the service
on Sunday.
A good track leads from Schooner Bay to Tryphena Bay, in the district of
which are twelve families. I could not see them all owing to the distance at
which some of them live but all got notice of the service and I think nearly
every family was represented. I was however, able to visit Mr Malcolm of
Rosalie Bay and to administer the sacrament of Baptism to several members of
his family. There is a good road to his house which is some seven miles from
Tryphena Bay. I am indebted to Mr Osborne, of that place, for much cheerful
help in this part of my work. Service on Sunday was held by the kindness of
Mr Blair on his premises. The weather looked very threatening when we were
about to begin but cleared up wonderfully. My Communion table was arranged
under a puriri tree; an old stump nearby made a good stand for our font
which was a large shell. We covered the stump with branches of the
white-flowering rata. Seven children were baptised and three men, beside
myself, stayed to receive Holy Communion. The Collection amounted to £2.3.3.
About fifty people were present.
In the afternoon I started for Schooner Bay, where, by the kindness of my
friends there, a boat was waiting to take me on to Blind Bay. A Portuguese
was going and they had arranged for him to take me on. I arrived about 4
o’clock and found about a dozen people collected there for service. There
was one baptism. The collection amounted to 9/-. In the morning I was in two
minds whether to go on to visit the Springhalls and Alcocks who lived on the
other side of the island or to go straight back to Port FitzRoy. I expected
to meet the cutter at FitzRoy in a short time and was anxious not to miss
her. Mr Watson offered to take me half-way in his boat. I agreed to go
straight back and we had a very pleasant sail, reaching Mr Flinn’s by
dinnertime. After dinner Mrs Flinn went over in a boat to Mr Cooper’s so I
had the privilege of being rowed over by two stalwart Misses Flinn - they
beat the men, I was told, at the Christmas races.
The cutter gave me time enough (1) to see Mr and Mrs Stark who live quite
alone, save for one other house, on the south east coast. There is one very
awkward place to cross if the tide is at all high. I and Mr Cooper had a
horse between us. The tide was as high as possible when we reached the
creek. The mud extends for a long way on either side and it is impossible to
cross at high water dryshod without a horse. It was about as ugly a place as
I have yet seen. (2) to pay a flying visit to Maori Bay, a fine bay on the
North Wesst coast above Nagle Cove. All I could do here was to fi out that
the Maoris had Bibles. I promised them a service on Sunday if the cutter did
not come. They were not willing at first, because they though I wanted
money, but having waived my claim to any, I found them more amenable.
The cutter came in on Saturday and left on Sunday morning but we were all
day trying to get in to Whangaparapara, to fetch a tone of gum and some
passengers. The distance is about fourteen miles and we took thirteen hours
about it. We lay there for the night and in the morning the wind was still
against us and we did not get away till night. Even then it took us till
about 9 o’clock next morning to crawl up to Tiri Tiri, when the wind came
aft and tide coming in, we had a delicious run home.
Anyone going to the Great Barrier should go to Tryphena as he has there a
better chance of getting away again. The settlers are most hospitable at
both ends and always ready to do what they can to help. At Tryphena Bay
there is no school even though school taxes have been paid by the people. I
wonder that there are no excursions to this beautiful island with its
romantic Alpine scenery, huge fishing grounds and gloriously healthy climate
in which I found I could walk nearly the whole day, uphill and downhill,
without any excessive fatigue - the air is so exhilarating and pure.
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