Picnic at Kidney Island 1898
As the carpenters were gathering for their work at 8.40, it was remarked by one that this would be a splendid day for a picnic to Kidney Island, all seemed to agree with him.
Thus a picnic was speedily arranged. The steam launch Sissie was got ready remarkable soon and was able to leave the east wharf at 11.15. under steam and sail with two boats in tow, these were taken to prevent any accident occurring when landing.
The party consisted mostly of carpenters with their wives, sisters and lady friends with these few exception, Mr Gorton, Mr F I King, Mr Rutter, Mr Sarney and Mr Eric Gilbertson. All went well till we neared Mangarie Point, it was noticed that some of the ladies looked rather delicate and white and finally let us know that we were at sea and that they felt the motion of the old Sissie who was tearing along with a fine fresh breeze, and anything but liked it when we robbed her of her cotton for she rolled and wallowed as if she intended to make us all sick, once around the point it was all smooth again and a few minutes late the rattle of the chain as it ran through the horse-pipe told us we had reached our sporting ground.
The task of getting on shore was commenced; this took quite a time on account of the great abundance of kelp that surrounds the beach. At 1.30 the fourth and last boat load was safely landed, this contained all the interests of the male folks, quite a number of rifles were distributed to their respective owners who received them with glowing faces, and as soon as their legs would take them were lost sight off in the tussock that almost entirely covers the Islands with the exception of the strawberry bed and Penguin rookery. The ladies and the remainder of the men and children were very soon on their knees picking strawberries which were fairly plentiful although rather ripe for carrying any distance.
The men with their rifles were sudden death to any sort of game that came within their range. It was rather good fun to watch some that had never been on an Island of this sort before, to see them climbing on the tops of the bogs and suddenly to lose sight of them all but their heels. Others when they heard the least rustle, (perhaps only a poor penguin getting out of harm’s way) would surmount the highest bog thinking it was a sea lion. I may here mention quite a number of these fierce looking creatures were seen on the north beach.
When all were tired of their travels they returned to the sand beach for tea. It was quite a work to heat a six gallon fountain of water for this purpose, with only dry tussock for fuel however it was at last managed all right and all did their best to finish everything. We then got the ladies and children in the boats and we safely landed on the Sissie and lastly the poor damped young men who had kindly carried the ladies into the boats. We weighted anchor at 6.15 and set sail for it was still a fair wind home, the sea was not so high when we reached the point so that the ladies had no trouble this time. We reached home safely at 7.35 and we all agreed that we had spent a most enjoyable day. V. B
A picnic at Kidney Island FI magazine February 1898 |
