3. Titri Wetland, Waihola Township and Lake. Hikers. Leaders Eleanore Ryan
On Wednesday 26 April 2023, it was very windy when 19 of us hikers arrived at the lake, meeting up with 3 from Outram. What a champ Bruce was joining 21 ladies!!! Also welcome to the new members.
We started off at the Sinclair, Bungard and Huddleston trees near the campground entry. My Great, Great Maternal Sinclair Grandparents arrived in 1857 from the Orkney Islands with 10 surviving family (they had 13 babies in 27 years). On arrival after 100 day voyage on the Māori to Taieri Ferry the father and older sons (my G. Grandfather bought a horse on the voyage) set off to find land and build a house. They settled at the junction of the Henley and Titri roads— which was the main road through to the early 1960’s. Between them they owned bordering farms, married and raised large families. My brother still farms Titri which has been in the family for over 100 years.
The Baumgardt (now Bungard) family arrived in 1872, along with 40 Polish families and settled round Allanton and Waihola, mainly employed building the Railway line south. They too also farmed round Waihola, and Taieri Ferry.
We walked up past the school and had smoko at a little cottage that would have housed a large family back in the day. Up the road a little further we stopped outside what was the home of Arthur Draper. He came from England and set up a Business in Outram in 1909 making Cricket Bats from Willow. He moved to Waihola in 1917. Over time he made around 10,000 bats from local Willow that had dried for 2 years. By the 1930’s lighter imported bats were proving to be more popular.
Up the hill overlooking the lake is the Cemetery, where a lot of the original Settlers are buried.
It was then down the road back to the far end of the lake where we found shelter for lunch. The lake was really stirred up with the wind.
Back to the cars and a short drive down to Titri wetland where we had seen the 2 Macracapa trees planted alongside a home built in the 1920’s. Some years later it was cut in half and dragged over the Island to the Waipouri river where it was floated down the Taieri river to Taieri Mouth—This Villa is still in ownership of a visitor we have had out a couple of times.
A short drive back to Black Swan for Coffee, cake and chat—where we were served with a smile, which is not always the case these days.
Thanks to Jenny Flack for keeping an eye on the tail Enders. Not many km’s, hopefully you all enjoyed the outing hearing snippets of local history.
Eleanore Ryan
11/2/2015. Hikers. Taieri Ferry Bridge, Titri Wetlands, Waihola.
We walked the length of the old main road from the Taieri Ferry Bridge car park to the Waihola Domain.
We stopped of at the Titri Creek car park to have morning tea and walk the track as far as we were able.
It was a 14 km long road walk which probably gave some of the thirty-one hikers the odd muscle pain. Thank you to Jan and Theresa for good leadership and planning for a route never tackled before. – Ian.
27/2/2013 Hikers. Titri Wetlands Reserve and Titri Park. Leaders: Fred and Graham.
