Charleston: Its Rise and Decline/Chapter 5
Chapter V.
THE OLD BEACH-ROUTE—1867 to 1874.
THE SECOND STAGE—TAURANGA BAY, TOTARA, NINE-MILE BEACH, LITTLE BEACH, CHARLESTON.
TAURANGA BAY.
THE Maori name for the Cape is Tauranga, meaning a resting-place for canoes, or a fishing-ground—Tauranga-ika. As the Maoris valued a bay more highly than a cape, it is probable that the cape took its name from the bay, instead of the bay adopting the name of the cape in pakeha fashion.
The Half Way House Hotel, licensee S. W. Nicholls, stood at the northernmost edge of the Tauranga Bay Beach, the Half-mile Beach. The date of its erection is not available, but an advertisement in the Westport Times of 14th September, 1867, shows that the house was then in business, and it is believed had but recently been opened. With Nicholls were his wife and a young daughter, Sally. They and Loring were then the only white inhabitants.
S. J. Loring’s Wayside Room, unlicensed, was erected about the end of 1866, at the southernmost end of the beach, on the heel of The Point, Rocky Peninsula. A letter written by him from Soldier’s Gully, Inangahua, on 26th August, 1866, advises his intention of proceeding “to the Cape, where it is rumoured, gold has been found.” He found the rumour incorrect, but established the small room to cater for the many who were passing en route to the Pakihi, Charleston. In 1867 he established a ferry at Totara River about four or five miles to the south and built a similar room there. Apparently the two rooms were run concurrently.
On 6th June, 1869, his brother-in-law, John Faris, took over the room at the bay, but closed it about a month later and proceeded to Totara to enter into partnership with Loring. There he remained for about a year, and returned to the bay where he built a house (notable for its hip roof, a novelty in the district) upon the heel of The Point, and followed farming until August, 1873, when he removed to Charleston. Thus of the white inhabitants of Tauranga Bay S. J. Loring was the first; S. W. Nicholls and family were second; and John Faris with his wife, two sons, and sister-in-law, Annie Loring, were third. The Faris family arrived at Westport from Melbourne in the Brigantine Mary on 5th June, 1869.
Nicholls vacated the Half Way House Hotel in 1872, when it was taken over by James Wall, of Addison’s Flat, who allowed the license to lapse and, when the beach-route was abandoned in 1874, closed the premises. The site is now occupied by a saleyard owned by his son, Patrick Wall, who, in 1876, was born in the old house and still lives near it.
The south end of the Half-mile Beach was known as “Faris’s,” and a prominent rock thereon was called The Faris Rock.
Tauranga Bay with its primeval forest for background, its sparkling creek running across the strand, its three rocks guarding like sentinels the ocean entrance, all united in forming a lovely beauty-spot. It is now a holiday resort and picnic-ground.
Leaving the Half Way House Hotel, the coaches crossed the Half-mile Beach and thence over the heel of The Point, or Look-out Point as it was frequently called, because from a large rock thereon the Maoris had, in the late ’twenties, watched for the expected invasion of Te Rauparaha, the dreaded devastator, who, however, never came. The name given to this point on Admiralty Chart, No. 2591, is Rocky Peninsula, and the small boat-harbour on its southern side is shown as Penguin Bay, on account of the many penguins there.
The short sandhill road across The Point joined Tauranga Bay with the Nine-mile Beach; its course may yet be traced, though long since abandoned owing to the formation of a road landward of the sandhills, from The Point to Totara, in 1933.
On the southern side of The Point was a Maori kainga (village) which for several months of each year was occupied by natives from the Buller, who engaged in catching supplies of dogfish (mango) at Penguin Bay, and drying them in the sun, beside the coach road. Passengers held their breaths while passing the spot, and drivers told of lady-travellers being much distressed. They told many other tall tales also; it was a saying that if you wanted to know “the lie of the land,” ask a coachie. To which tribe these Maoris belonged is not certain; probably a detached section of the Ngatitoa, Te Rauparaha’s conquering host.
About 1914 the Cape Railway was extended to a quarry on The Point, through a tunnel on the Cape, skirting the site of the Half Way House Hotel, and running around the bay. It did not function for long.
About Tauranga Bay, especially near to the outlet of the creek, were several seams of lignite.
NINE-MILE BEACH.
From The Point the route entered upon the north end of the Nine-mile Beach and followed this uninteresting length of strand to the Totara River, about four miles, It is similar to the South Beach, having breakers at one side and long sand dunes at the other. Neither of these beaches was suitable for vehicular traffic at other than low tide, as the only hard sand lay at low-water mark; nor was the Totara fordable when the tide was high. This end of the Nine-mile Beach was uninhabited along its fringe, but at its south end a portion was worked for gold, by beach-combers, and later was the Shetlanders’ settlement of Rahui.
TOTARA.
After traversing the northern end of the Nine-mile Beach, the route crossed the Totara River, which entered the sea about half-way along the beach. Although called the Totara River, it was not actually such, but the outlet of the Totara Lagoon into which flowed the Okari River at the northern end and Big Totara and the Little Totara at the southern end. In ordinary course, vehicles forded this river; but occasionally, owing to floods or heavy seas, it was unfordable, and the north-bound and south-bound coaches remained upon their respective sides, and passengers were transhipped from one to the other by ferry-boats after the latter were established in 1867; how they managed before then is not known.
The Ferry House, also a store and refreshment room (Loring’s, January, 1868) was on the north side of the river, the first building having been on the seaward side of the dunes; but as this was washed away by floods, it was rebuilt behind the sandhills, at the Okari end of the lagoon, as shown on map herewith. The ferry was worked by rowing-boats only—no barges or power craft.
The first ferry service at Totara was established in 1867, by S. J. Loring, of Tauranga Bay, who was later, on 22nd January, 1869, formally authorised (Nelson Gazette, No. 4, volume 17) to “keep a ferry-boat on the Totara River, and charge tolls 1/- for each passenger and 2/6 for each horse, including rider. A competent ferryman to be always in attendance with a good safe boat and proper rope for crossing horses.” It should be explained that horses were not ferried across, but swam behind the boat to which they were attached by ropes. This authority was renewed on 1st March, 1869 (Nelson Gazette, No. 6, Vol. 17) and on 26th February, 1870 (Nelson Gazette, No. 6, Vol. 18). As stated, this ferry was at the north side of the river, the Okari end of the lagoon; the only river-ferry.
A ferry service not connected with the beach coach-route, on the south end of the lagoon, was established by William Bird who, on 22nd January, 1869, was authorised (Nelson Gazette, No. 4, Vol. 17) to “keep a ferry-boat on the Totara Lagoon, or Saltwater Creek, and to charge 1/- for each person.” Bird was also authorised to “form a track from the Totara Lagoon towards Addison’s Flat, 1½ miles through the bush, and to charge tolls: Horses and cattle, 2/6 each. Sheep and pigs, 6d. each.” He was also given the right over “one mile of each bank of the lagoon from its junction with the Totara”—presumably the Big Totara.
Tauranga Bay, 1866.
Totara, 1867.
Tauranga Bay, 1869.
Totara, 1869.
On 25th May, 1869, Loring, of Totara ferry, found the body of a brown horse upon the beach south of the river. It had belonged to Mr. Isaac Simpson, of Charleston, who had been drowned. His body was not recovered. A similar tragedy had nearly occurred on 7th May, 1867, when Constable Fitzgerald, of Charleston, narrowly escaped drowning while fording the river on horse-back, having failed to hear the warning of the ferryman. On 19th January, 1868, Mr. W. Allen, of Allen Brothers, Charleston, was drowned while attempting the ford on horse-back, despite the ferryman’s warning.
In consequence of these tragic events, Loring inserted an advertisement in the Westport Daily Times of 31st January, 1868, notifying that: “A red flag will be displayed at the point of the sand-spit on the north side of the river, when it is considered unsafe for horsemen to ford.”
On 26th July, 1869, John Faris, from Tauranga Bay, was granted (Nelson Gazette, No. 27, Vol. 17) the “right of ferrying on that portion of the Okari Lagoon extending in a southerly direction for a distance of half-a-mile from the reef of rocks at the upper end, and to charge a toll of one shilling for every foot passenger.” He was in partnership with Loring, but abandoned the ferry in 1870 and returned to Tauranga Bay. On 18th March, 1870, Loring transferred the ferry to John Molloy (Nelson Gazette, No. 7, Vol. 18). On 19th March, 1873, Molloy transferred his right to Nicholas Beebil (Nelson Gazette, No. 8, Vol. 22) who held it for many years and, it is believed, handed over to George Herring, who held it until a comparatively recent year. In a recent map the Totara Lagoon is marked: “Herring’s.”
Nicholas Beebil, known affectionately as “Old Nick,” who conducted the ferry for much longer than any other, was a Greek, a sailor who had left his ship at Westport. He was an extremely popular, respected man, and noted for his hospitality. After his wife’s death at Totara he returned to Greece but was soon back in this the land of his adoption, died at Westport, and was buried at Charleston, where also lie his wife and infant daughter.
The Totara was a treacherous river, subject to sudden floods and beset with quicksands. Usually vehicles were guided across by the ferryman, who selected crossing-places. In early days the method of summoning the ferry, from the south side of the river, was by “cooee”; but it is said that about 1891 the bell from the dismantled Methodist Church at Charleston was placed upon a post there and used for the purpose.
On 17th October, 1868, says the Westport Daily Times, the cutter Satellite of 27 tons, Henry White being master, from New Plymouth, where she was owned by Webster Brothers, got too close inshore and, the master realising that there was no escape, as the wind was strong and squally, set sails and beached her about half-a-mile north of the Totara mouth. The crew of three were saved, and an enquiry held the master blameless. The wreck was sold by auction at Westport on 24th October, 1868, and on 10th April, 1869, the newspaper stated: “The cutter Satellite, recently wrecked near the Totara, is now inside the river, repaired and ready for sea. She is now named the Joseph Paul.”
Shortly after the newspaper announced: “She got out on Saturday, 10th April, 1869, when there were nine feet of water on the bar.”
PARSONS’ HILL AND LITTLE BEACH.
From the Nine-mile Beach the route was over a point called Parsons’ Hill, because owned by Parsons, of the Welcome Inn, to Little Beach, sometimes called Nile Beach, it being immediately north of the mouth of the Nile River.
At the north end of this beach was the Welcome Inn, one of the best remembered hostelries of the district.
The route was along Little Beach until, about 1870, a road was formed around its fringe, which saved vehicles the heavy beach pull. From Little Beach the road crossed another narrow point, passed Small’s Beach, a sandbank in the basin; ran along the old road over Nile Hill, and so to Charleston. In later days, about 1882, a low-level road was formed from Nile bridge to Charleston, thus avoiding the steep grade of Nile Hill. It was constructed by Scarlett and party, of Karamea.
ADDISON’S FLAT ROAD.
In 1873-1874 the “dray-road” from Westport to Charleston via Addison’s Flat was opened, and the beach-route abandoned. This spelt the end of the boat ferry at South Spit, and it was replaced by a boat-and-punt ferry further up the river, near to Snag Falls, later called Victoria Falls, and close to where the combined railway and road bridge was built in 1887. This ferry conveyed not only passengers but the coaches and other vehicles across the Buller River. It also meant the end of busy life at the Spit; hotels were closed and businesses abandoned. The census of 1874 showed only seven persons at Packers’ Point, and only 76 at South Spit and Buller Lagoon. In turn, the boats and punts were put out of action by the erection of the bridge in 1887.
Some of the punt owners at or near to the upper ferry were:—
J. M. Langdon—right gazetted 24th June, 1871, for a “punt ferry” near the telegraph line, within two and a half miles from mouth of Buller River, and not to interfere with shipping, navigating, or boats plying for hire. Rates were fixed at 6d. for passengers, 2/6 for horse and rider, 2/6 for loaded packhorse, 1/- each for cattle, 25/- per hundred for sheep, 5/- for horse and dray loaded, and 2/6 per ton for goods.
Gilmer Brothers—right gazetted 11th December, 1872, owned and worked a punt for passengers, “near to the telegraph line." It was erected in January, 1873.
Walter Abernethy—right gazetted 31st March, 1874, for a punt service at end of Bentham Street. He transferred this right to Hans Larsen in November, 1875.
Jack Reid and Jack Pascoe were early punt-owners.
John Hale owned and worked a punt on the south side of the river, at “McPaddons.” He also ran an accommodation house on the Westport side. He transferred to Hans Larsen.
Philip McEnroe—on north side. His punt was constructed from two of the old cargo-barges (Reuben Waite’s) fastened together and provided with a platform. He later owned the Shamrock Hotel and a store at Addison’s Flat. A punt was also operated by one McCann.
In addition to rowing boats and punts (barges attached by wire ropes and pulleys to an overhead cable, and propelled by the river current) at least two steam launches plied on the ferry; John Martin’s Terrier and Hans Larsen’s Moss Rose. These, however, were used principally for carrying workmen and supplies to the railway construction works. They also towed barges laden with rails, engines, coal, and other heavy freights. The Addison’s Flat road had been contemplated as early as 1869, and on 9th June, 1870, a petition for same was presented to the Provincial Council, and a grant of £2,000 obtained. It was not until 1873 that work was started upon it, and not until 1874 that it was completed, though the section from Westport to Addison’s Flat was finished earlier than the portion thence to Charleston.
On 31st March, 1869, Mr. J. Henry Lowe, District Engineer of Goldfields, referring to this road, stated: “A road has been made from Charleston to Brown’s Terrace on the way to Shamrock Lead; a distance of about five miles of open pakihi divides the two. This formed, the road would be complete in a direct line from Packers’ Point to Charleston. The advantages of this route would be a shorter distance than the present road by the beach. Secondly, a good road, independent of tides; and, thirdly, the connection of many districts lying between Westport and Charleston, with both towns.” It will be noticed that Mr. Lowe contemplated the road being made from Packers’ Point; not from Snag Falls.