Page 7 - A Walk from Wellington to New Plymouth

a white man for a landlord and a native woman for landlady but never-the-less were well fed as
at every other place in New Zealand where a white man lives.
(“Rangatiti” and “ Rangatki” referred to below is probably the Rangitikei River. GK)
Thursday to Rangatiti 28 miles along the sand and had frequent showers but kept myself pretty
dry with my macintosh but Smith got wet. Halfway we crossed a wide river in a canoe and the
ferryman who took us over was a native and charged us 6d each which was the usual price here
for crossing a river. He lived in a raupo or reed hut but without door or window and gave us
some potatoes and tea for dinner which we ate with some sandwiches we brought from Ohow.
We reached Rangitiki just as it was dark quite knocked up. Smith with swelled ankles and I with
blistered feet and had to buy horses in order to continue our journey. Mr McDonald of whom we
bought them had just been to Wellington to be married and returned with his bride the day after
we arrived and stayed at the Inn because his house was not finished. He had been in Australia for
some years and knew Wm Newsham.
After one day's stay at Rangatiti we resumed our journey on.”

(RIVER WANHIHU WITH MT EGMONT IN THE BACKGROUND S. C. Brees 1849)
This will be Wangaehu River, a few miles short of Wanganui

“Saturday the 5th January accompanied as far as Wanganui 28 miles by the landlord and about
half that distance by a Mr Ashdown who has been for many years in New Zealand, this day
nothing occurred worth mentioning. We dined off potatoes with some natives and arrived safely
at Wanganui.
At Wanganui we spent Sunday the 6th. Mr Churton formerly carrying on a large drapery
business at the west end of London, but now a settler here, called on us and took us in his canoe
5 miles up river to see his land. He owns a large tract of country and has some nice level land.
On our return he dined with us and then we went to his house to have some claret. This is a
military station and the principal settlement between Wellington and New Plymouth but owing
to the fighting here most of the settlers left and went to the other settlements, but few remaining
except Mr Churton and a few shopkeepers who trade with the military. We heard of the fighting
at Wanganui before I left England but it seems there were only 4 men killed on each side all
through the war and in general people here think much less of the disturbances in New Zealand
than you do in England.” (The Taranaki Wars had not yet started GK)