Thursday 1st It was showery all day. There was not a quarter of an hour fine between the showers. I was unable to do anything out of doors.
Friday 2nd Very showery in the morning but finer spells of fine in the afternoon.
In the morning I wrote a letter to Mr Wallace. In the afternoon I was digging out stones where the potatoes came out. Jack returned from Tangihanga late in the afternoon, he reported that the Phipps’ had left this morning, Carpenter driving them down to Te Araroa. Lily and Henry were bottling Nectarines.
Saturday 3rd It rained all day without any intermission. Was not able to do anything outside.
Jack went down to the Marangairoa sale yards near Te Araroa where a sale of stock was to be held by the Tokomaru Farmers Cooperative Co, Jack was going to return to Tangihanga where Lily is.
Sunday 4th It poured with rain last night and all this morning, and the river is in high flood and I am afraid great damage will be done to the road. It was finer in the afternoon, but mist was hanging about the hills and think this rain is not all over.
I was reading Dombey & Son all day.
Monday 5th The wind has changed to the W and the mist has cleared away and we were hoping it was going to be fine weather but it came over showery which continued all day. The river is still very big. There must have something happened to the telephone line as we could get no communication even with Metcalfs.
I sowed a row of Yorkshire Hero Peas where the potatoes came out and a short row of Peerlers Peas (Suttons) near the house. Jack came from Tangihanga in the evening.
Tuesday 6th It was a very fine day. Jack and Thomas went and fixed up the telephone line that was broken this side of Metcalf’s and in the afternoon he went over to Tangihanga. I sowed 2 rows of Garden Swede Turnips. Bill Schneiderman came over late in the evening to buy Thomas’ dogs.
Wednesday 7th It was a very fine day. Bill Schneideman who has bought Thomas’ dogs took them away after breakfast, Thomas went part of the way with him.
I was working in the garden all day, I dug round the Pie Melons and the Tomatoes. Paddy shot a young pig.
Thursday 8th It was a very fine day. Sid Hooper (Metcalf’s man)
& Thomas were fixing up the boundary line.
Paddy was fencing. I was weeding the Onions.
Friday 9th It was a very fine day. Sid Hooper & Thomas were fixing the boundary fence. Paddy was fencing.
I finished weeding the Onions and then started to dig.
Saturday 10th It was a fine day.
I was digging and carrying out stones.
Sunday 11th It was a fine day. Jack and Lily returned from Tangihanga in the morning and after lunch Jack returned to Tangihanga, I returned with him. The Phipps’ had left in my absence. I found my garden very dry and full of weeds. Ted Pierce and Lew had tea here besides the regular men that are employed here.
Monday 12th It was very fine during the day but it rained in the evening.
The shearers finished shearing to day and Jack returned to his place.
Carpenter took 6 bales of Wool in the dray down to Te Araroa and returned late in the evening.
Tuesday 13th It was showery all day. Henry was making up the shearers Acts [?]. Carpenter and Bill were on the road at the river.
Wednesday 14th It was raining first thing in the morning, but it cleared up about 7 am and turned out a fine day.
Carpenter took the waggon with 8 bales of wool down to Te Araroa, we heard in the evening that the waggon got stuck in a bog hole just below Mr Halliwells, one of the hind wheels sinking up to the axle. With help they had to unload to get it out and then load again, this caused a delay of three hours, so Carpenter did not get home to night.
Jack called here in the morning, had lunch and then started for Te Araroa but overtaking Carpenter where he was stuck, he helped him, so being delayed he turned back home again.
Thursday 15th It was a fine day. Henry and Bill were mustering sheep and cattle . I churned butter. Carpenter did not return from Te Araroa with the waggon until the evening, he and Henry loaded up the waggon after tea to be ready for an early start tomorrow morning.
Friday 16th It was a very hot day. Carpenter took the waggon with 8 bales of wool down to Te Araroa returning in the evening.
Henry & Bill were mustering sheep. I weeded the Onion bed and tied up some Tomatoes.
In the evening we heard that the SS “Kahu” in Te Araroa from Auckland tomorrow and that a married couple for Henry were coming by her.
Saturday 17th It was a very hot day. Carpenter went down to Te Araroa with the waggon and 8 bales of wool. Bill Schneiderman left here after lunch, he is going down to Cape Runaway.
Henry dipped some Rams and then put them out.
The married couple (Corlett) and 4 men came up in the waggon from Te Araroa having arrived by the “Kahu” at 6 am. Two of the men are for Jack.
I was busy clearing up and cooking. I had to supply dinner for 9 persons.
Sunday 18th It was a very fine day. Jack and Millie rode over in the pm, they brought spare horses and pack saddles. Two of the men went back with them and their luggage.
Monday 19th It was very showery in the morning, but improved in the afternoon. Carpenter took the waggon with 8 bales of wool down to Te Araroa.
George Worthington took two horses down to Te Araroa after lunch to get shod. Henry took Jack Johnson to the back after lunch to show him where to fence. In the evening rode over to Jack’s place to help muster.
I weeded the Carrots and Red Beet.
Tuesday 20th It was a very showery day. Carpenter took 8 bales of wool down to Te Araroa in the waggon.
George and Jack were working about the homestead in the morning, and in the pm they went to the back fencing.
Wednesday 21st It was pouring with rain all day. Were not able to do anything outside.
The river is in flood.
Thursday 22nd Still pouring with rain. The channel of the creek at the wool-shed is blocked with boulders and stones and the water is flowing over the sheep yards and round and under the wood shed. The men and I dug drains round the shed, tried to lead the water off the creek into its usual channel.
The river is encroaching on the road down to the cow bail, in fact it has taken it all away and the fence is all hanging. The water covers all the river bed from side to side and trees & logs are floating down at a great rate and some are forming obstructions in the middle of the river.
The telephone line must be down so we are quite cut off from the outside.
I am afraid there will be a lot of damage down on the other place,
I wish Henry were home as I feel a responsibility resting on me.
Carpenter, the waggon and five horses are still down at Te Araroa, he might bring the horses back when the river goes down, but it would be impossible to bring the wagon back until the road is fixed up.
Friday 23rd Still raining, but more heavy showers with wind. The river is in high flood and has encroached into the bank so much that the road to the cow bail is completely cut off.
In the afternoon the men and I cut down two trees outside the fence and anchored them in the river to shoot off the water.
Saturday 24th The weather cleared in the morning and we thought the rain was all over, but it came on to rain in the afternoon.
The men killed a sheep in the morning and cut a lot of firewood in the afternoon.
Sunday 25th It was a very fine day, the sun was shining bright, and the river has gone down. Henry returned from Ahomatariki just after we had finished lunch. While Henry was having his lunch, we heard a noise and we thought it was wind but going outside we found the river in flood again and it kept up for three hours when it gradually went down, our theory was that the river was held up by a dam and that it burst gradually. In the afternoon Henry and two men went across the river and cleared a channel for the river to flow the other side.
Monday 26th It was a very fine day . We were all busy opening the bales of wool that were wet. Jack Smith called in the afternoon, Carpenter also returned from Te Araroa, he left 4 horses and Waggon down there, he reports that the road from here to Te Araroa nearly all carried away.
Tuesday 27th It was a very fine day. We were busy turning out the wool laying it out to dry and repacking it. Jack called and had lunch here. George was sent out to the cultivation with a pack horse to get some potatoes but at dark he had not returned so Henry and two other men went in search for him, eventually they found him, he had let the horse loose and was wandering about.
Wednesday 28th It was a very hot day. Jack Johnson was sent to the back to get the horse and potatoes that George left last night.
We were spreading out wool and packing it.