Northern approaches

Community breakdown

Bars show the community-aggregated score per category. Rate this book to contribute.

""Northern Approaches" richly illustrates the development of these closely associated districts, whose settlements were amongst the earliest in the South Island. Unlike other settlements, the first immigrants to the area found the whalers living there had established good crops, and there fores were able to devote their energy tobuilding, establishing and expanding their chosen home sites without the constandt worry of lack of food, it was not all easy however; the broken nature of the country made agricultural development difficult, and even the many productive farms of today have not tames the land entirely. Included in this account are an enthralling account of Mr macleod C. Orbell's life in Waikouaiti, quoted from his diaries and showing life in the surrounding district in the earliest days of settlement; numerous anecdotes sabout the empire builder Johnny Jones, who seems to have controlled all major businesses in the area; the story of Stanley and Griffen's lif-long feud, started while they were waggoners and continued as rival publicans at Macraes -- a township of only 112 people! Communication with the region and even within it was difficult -- the sea remained the chief means of passenger transport for many years. A road was finally built in 1863 and the author introduces many of the characters found on it: Old Deaf Smith, a waggoner who ensured held should he get stuck by always being first on the road; the famous coaching whip Ned Devine, with his 27 passenger coaches and teams of matched greys. All information on the early days of this splendid, unusual country has been gathered to make "Northern approaches" a fascinating history." -- Inside front cover.