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Wagon Cavalcade rolls into Waimate
The Timaru Herald | Thursday, 8 February 2007
WILD WEST WAGON: The Southern Wagon Horse Power group arrived in Waimate yesterday. The group are raising money for Dunedin's rescue helicopter. A cavalcade traveling from Bluff to Picton over eight weeks is raising money for a much faster form of transport – a helicopter.
Yesterday the Southern Wagon Horse Power group arrived in Waimate, after traveling from Kurow in the morning, and their journey is expected to be the longest stagecoach trip in New Zealand.
Co-organizer Ellwin Cowie said the group were traveling wild west wagon-style to raise money for Dunedin's rescue helicopter.
"We talked about the idea with other wagon enthusiasts two years in a row at the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust Cavalcade. Last year we decided we would organize it and go in 2007 and formed the Southern Wagon Horse Power group.
"It's quite a relaxing way to travel, a nice slow pace. We are sleeping in the wagons, wild west style." Twenty-two people, five wagons, and 35 horses left Bluff on January 20. Some of the participants have leave from their job while some have had to quit.
"This is a once in a lifetime trip so people have done what they can to be involved. "So far 99.9 per cent of the drivers have been fine and slowed down as they approached us."
There had been a few sore backs, but these were caused by a car crashing into the back of one of the support cars.
The group had been overwhelmed by the support, sometimes drummed up by one member driving ahead and knocking on doors. "We have just asked if we can stay there so the horses have somewhere to rest and be washed. We are figuring it out as we go along."
The cavalcade will spend a few days in Waimate and plans to be at Salt Water Creek on Monday, and then Cave, Pleasant Point and then three days in Geraldine. "It is all dependant on weather and the horses. We are in no rush."
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Team slogs from Bluff to Picton
By John Keast Woodbury - The Press | Monday, 19 February 2007
It has been a long ride for Southlander Peter Robson, and there is a fair bit of country ahead of him yet. Robson is from Lochiel, near Winton, but has been passing through Canterbury in the last few days. He is part of a 37-horse, five-wagon team traveling from Bluff to Picton to raise $50,000 for the Lion rescue helicopter. The wagons left Bluff on January 20.
Robson, a wheelwright, said the fundraising trip was agreed on over a few drinks during an earlier cavalcade, and, as the Lion helicopter had rescued people from cavalcades, they decided it should get the money. Nearly $5000 has been raised, with $800 coming from Geraldine.
Robson, who built his own coach and has orders for more, said the trip was no picnic, with riders rising at 5am to feed the horses and prepare for another day on the road. He said the tar seal was hard on horses, with some shoes wearing out in days.
On cool days the wagons could cover 60km to 70km, he said, but much less as the sun heated the seal. Robson said his horses, Morgans, were on hard feed – chaff, molasses and brewer's yeast, among other things. Robson's coach is new but based on an 1820s design and took him six or eight months to build, "When I should have been doing other things".
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