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An Exploring Party on the West Coast of New Zealand: floating down the River Teramakau, 1865. Creator: Unknown
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An Exploring Party on the West Coast of New Zealand: floating down the River Teramakau, 1865. Creator: Unknown
An Exploring Party on the West Coast of New Zealand: floating down the River Teramakau, 1865. Engraving from a sketch by Albert Walker. 'The west coast of the Middle Island of New Zealand, where the most recently discovered gold-fields have attracted within the last twelvemonth a population of ten or twelve thousand persons, was an almost unknown region in the early part of the year 1863. "We...[followed] the course of the Teramakau...here the river enters a very narrow sort of gorge, the banks being nearly perpendicular, from 30 ft. to 80 ft. high, and the river running with great rapidity. As there was no room on either side to follow the stream on foot we were here obliged to construct a mohiki, on which to float down the river. We had first to collect a quantity of the flax flower-stalks...We cut sufficient of these to make about twenty-five bundles...Our next step was to place a number of these bundles side by side, tying them strongly with flax. Thus we had a sort of raft...We again made two more of these rafts, and placing them on the first one we lashed all three strongly together...With this hastily-built contrivance we descended the gorge, carried along by the swift and rapid current to the sea - a distance of twelve miles".' From "Illustrated London News", 1865
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**Floating Down River: An Exploring Party's West Coast Adventure**
In this photograph, an intrepid exploring party takes to the waters of New Zealand's Teramakau River in June 1865. The group, comprising unknown individuals, embarked on a thrilling journey down the river's swift current, navigating through a breathtaking gorge with perpendicular banks reaching up to 80 feet high.
To traverse this challenging terrain, they constructed three makeshift rafts from flax flower-stalks and lashed them together for stability. With their hastily-built contraption in tow, they floated downstream for an exhilarating twelve miles until finally reaching the sea.
This remarkable image captures a pivotal moment in New Zealand's history as European settlers began to stake claims on the West Coast's rich goldfields. The Teramakau River played a crucial role in this process, serving as both a transportation route and a source of sustenance for early prospectors like these explorers.
As we gaze upon this vintage photograph, we are transported back in time to an era marked by adventure, discovery, and the unbridled spirit of exploration. The unknown photographer's skillful capture of this moment has preserved a piece of history that continues to fascinate us today.
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