Page 132 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

Southern District

celebrates

50th milestone

with 4WD trip

Words: Steph Dew. Photos: Supplied

Our 4WD trip began with great hilarity when our first-day tour recorded in the lower valley, it was registered by the New Zealand
guide, Geof Brown, headed us off down the road in the wrong Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) in 2010.
direction, only to stop and ask if anyone knew where to go! After making our way through fords, the gorge, and along
Clearly Bruce and Carolynn Robertson knew; they could be a large section of the valley, we stopped at the Nevis Valley
seen in their vehicle in fits of laughter as we made a U-turn to Museum amongst the remnants of one of the settlements.
head back in the opposite direction. Luckily that was the only We enjoyed the opportunity to stretch our legs and see the
wrong turn we made that day as we enjoyed the spectacular mining relics housed in the surrounding buildings. This
th
scenery of the Nevis Valley. Right on our back doorstep, is where we had our picnic lunch and cut the bespoke 50
surprisingly few of our members had previously made the trip, anniversary cake, which featured the mixture of terrains our
making it an ideal outing to mark the club’s special milestone. members farm, a minivan to represent the club’s annual
Geof was indeed familiar with this land because his father bull tour, and of course Hereford cattle. It was perfect having
had purchased Ben Nevis Station, at the other end of the both Laurie Paterson and his son Ross in attendance to cut
Nevis Valley, when they were living at Locharburn Station the cake. With Laurie having been at the first club meeting
and he was at high school in Oamaru. The high country of 50 years ago and Ross being our current club chairperson, it
the 37,000-acre [15,000ha] block was retired, and in time, was seemed appropriate they did the honours.
run by Geof’s brother, the late Robert, who went on to also At the museum stop we were met by Trevor Heaney and his
purchase Craig Roy Station on the opposite side of the valley. partner Barbara Lake. They continued our tour, taking us on
After farming alongside younger sister Liz at Locharburn, the to the Ben Nevis woolshed where Trevor gave us a rundown
purchase of neighbouring Queensberry Hill Station led to the of the area’s farming history and ownership, and the tourism
siblings going out on their own. The farm was divided and operation run at Ben Nevis. Several of the property’s top
Geof and Joyce remained at Locharburn, with Liz and husband quality merino fleeces, due to be entered at the local Upper
Dennis going to Queensberry Hill. Clutha A&P Show held in Wanaka, were on display in the
Our first stop after an 8km uphill climb was the historic woolshed. Trevor’s daughter Prudence and her partner Aaron
Southland Ski Hut, now maintained by the Department of Johns now own Craig Roy Station and manage the Ben Nevis
Conservation. operation, which is owned by an Auckland businessman.
The Southland section of the NZ Alpine Club visited Garston We spent a lovely couple of hours hosted at the Ben Nevis
in June 1933 when recreational skiing was still in its infancy in homestead by Trevor and Barbara, enjoying the Central Otago
New Zealand. After climbing the hill they were excited at the sunshine and taking in the spectacular surroundings.
prospect of being able to ski at such a relatively low altitude. From the homestead it was a short drive to the end of the
Legend has it, the truck delivering the ski hut ended up valley where an easy climb took you to the highest point of the
choosing the hut’s final site. The 1917 Dennis truck had steam Nevis Valley road. At 1300 metres, it’s one of the highest public
pouring from its engine as it crawled up the steep Nevis Road roads in New Zealand. After a day of striking landscapes, I was
and it eventually broke down a couple of kilometres short of the surprised to be greeted by yet another spectacular view as
ski field, so that was where the prefabricated hut was assembled. we neared the end of the trip. It stretched from Bannockburn
The Nevis Valley was originally used by Maori as a trail route below to Cromwell’s township, and beyond the north end
and for moa hunting before the early European settlers farmed of Lake Dunstan. Mountain ranges framed the view in every
the land. In the 1860s gold was discovered and so began the direction and from this viewpoint on a clear day you are able to
Nevis Valley gold rush, with two small settlements forming. From see Mt Cook. After a sharp descent into Bannockburn members
a historical perspective it is a unique area in that every mining carried on to The Stoaker Room restaurant in Cromwell where
system was used in this one valley. There are diggings from the they enjoyed dinner together to finish a great day out.
early miners who dug trenches and pits, ground sluicing near More than 50 years ago the Southern District Hereford
rivers, hydraulic elevating, and dredging from the 1890s to about Breeders Club was established by driven, proactive breeders.
1939. Due to its remoteness many relics from its historic mining They laid the club’s foundations, which have been maintained
days remain largely intact in the valley, from the moa hunters’ throughout the decades by new members, and in many
tracks, the array of gold mining evidence, coal mines, and the instances, the next generation of those founding families. From
huts of the European and Chinese miners. The progression standout sale results to representation on the national council,
from sod buildings to wood, brick and then corrugated iron is our members have always been in the thick of our industry’s
visible along the valley floor. With dozens of archaeological sites promotion and successes, while enjoying great comradeship.

130 HEREFORD MAGAZINE Year 2023