Chapter 26 - Good Times in Sight

Sam took the last shovelful of cement from the revolving barrel, and Fred switched off the tractor as Lizzie came down the track with the afternoon tea. The children, Heather, Alex and Rewa, had come to inspect the new shed. The brothers were very proud of it. 

“When it’s finished, it will be the very latest design in a walk through dairy shed.” Said Sam. “The race shed had served well for 25years, but in this one, each cow will be let out as soon as she’s been milked. Then she can go and eat clover and make more milk for tomorrow. We are going to hang baskets of ferns and flowers in this covered yard. As they poured out the hot tea, Fred remarked, “What a difference little inventions make, like the thermos flask. Bigger things too. Do you remember when we built the Queens Drive? We had to dig every shovel full of sand ourselves, and cart it home in the dray.” “The Queens Drive is the concrete race from the dairy shed down to the crossroads, where all the lower paddocks meet.” Sam explained to a worker. “I had to go to Claudlands in the wagon for the cement, then we had to mix it all, shovel by shovel, and spread it out that way too. Other farmers thought we were mad, but we couldn’t stand the mud. “That was in 1928.” Said Fred. Sam interrupted, “It was one of the worst droughts we had ever had. There had been no rain since November 20th, the wind dried up every blade of grass, but it had been too unreliable to keep the windmill driving the pump. We didn’t lose any cows, but production was right down.” Lizzie chimed in, “Peat fires were burning everywhere, but the one in the second growth across from the school was the most dangerous. Do you remember the special service we held out under the oak trees to pray for rain?’ “We got it too,” said Fred with satisfaction, “It just poured when I was taking you in the train to go to Don’s wedding.” “But it was fine again in March, and it took us six days of very hard work to get that stretch of concrete completed.” Said Sam. “Hot too,” remembered Fred. The he added “We had this mixer when we built the swimming pool in 1931. But we had to turn it by hand. This year we’ve attached belts to the Fordson tractor and that turns it easily. Wouldn’t it be handy if they could just bring the concrete ready to go in place? But I suppose the stuff would set before it got here, even if they could make a truck that could carry anything so heavy.” 

“We have seen most of the North island, but we’ll have to see the South island before we can think of going to see the old country, Fred observed when they began to plan a holiday in 1938. “The Chevs taken us camping for 14 years, but it couldn’t cope with a South island tour.” Reluctantly, the Chev, almost one of the family, was traded for a newer V8 and they acquired an AA guide of the South island.  “We will go down to Edie & Jim at Benhar, so we’ll go down the east coast as far as Balclutha,” Fred decided. “We must see the glaciers,” said Mary. “How do we get to the West Coast.” There are two routes marked on the map. “Otira looks shorter observed Esther, and looked up the description. “What a lots of fords there are. Listen,” and she read out. “Take this ascent in low gear, … advisable to use low gear and not trust your brakes, drive carefully, sharp corners where it is necessary to exercise extreme care, Thomas River has steep cuttings both in and out of it, I don’t like the sound of that at all. “You can put the car on the train at Springfield to Otira for £1/15/6d,” Mary discovered. Fred said, “Jack Sainsbury recommended the Lewis Pass. It’ll take us down through Reefton, and we can call in on the Seatons, who are home missionaries there now. We’ll go that way. The Tamahine leaves Wellington at 2.45pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, so we’ll have Christmas Day with the relatives in Petone, and cross over the next day.” The family looked on inapprehension when the car was encased in nets and lifted high in the air and onto the ship. Would they drop it into the sea? But no, successfully loaded and on time the Tamahine pulled away from the wharf with the cars and passengers safe on board.

Fred’s brother in law Jim Park was in charge of the pottery works at Benhar, an interesting visit, too short for Edie, who seldom saw her North island relations. A ridged timetable did not have to be kept, as most camping places only cost two shillings per night for AA members, and there were plenty of places beside the road to pitch a tent. Still there was much to see, and the return on the Tamahine was booked for the 13th January. One stop Fred considered important was a visit to the Otago University in Dunedin, to see his Father’s portrait in the Board room. Alexander Watt Williamson was the first person to graduate with a B.A in New Zealand. The road from Hokitika to Franz Josef Glacier was rough and the water in fords were high. The guide book promised that “When bridges over the Cook, Karangarua and Jacobs rivers are built, and other minor constructions completed, the route will be open to Bruce Bay, but it is now raining hard, and Fred & Esther decided they would go no further south, and would rent a cabin for the night. The first time on the holiday they had not used the tent. Before daybreak, they were awakened by strange noises. It seemed like rocks hitting the roof. Was it an eruption? Fred went out to look and came back laughing. Three or four keas were sitting on the roof rolling stones down. When one fell to the ground, a kea swooped down and took it back to set it rolling again, chuckling loudly all the time. No wonder there were signs everywhere warning visitors to watch out for the mischievous birds. When the family arrived home on schedule, all declared it had been a wonderful holiday. They did not realize that this was to be the last holiday with all the family together. 

Then the war. War, with all its restrictions and shortages. For a second time. War.

It brought changes. Sam and his family moved to their own farm in Reporoa. For a few years, Mary with her husband and young family came to help her Father. That was good, but Fred missed his brother. Always he had saved up a joke or some news to discuss with Sam. Young men’s interests and attitudes were different, something was missing.