On Thursday, February 3, Anna received a note from Mrs (Emily) Herrick, inviting her to holiday at Forest Gate, Ongaonga. On February 14, she and her son Chas (age 8 years), began the first leg of their journey, leaving Napier on the 7.30am train. Once on board young Chas surprised Anna with a hand-made Valentine's card.
When the train arrived at Pakipaki, which was as far as the railway line went at the beginning of 1876, a coach was waiting to convey the passengers to Waipawa. Being a warm, sunny day, Anna and Chas sat in the box seat situated above the driver, which provided them with wonderful views of the surrounding landscape.
Regardless of this amazing vantage point, Anna recalled that it was "such a long drive" and they arrived "hungry, hot and tired".
Col Herrick (Colonel Jasper Lucas Herrick) met them at Waipawa but before they could commence to Forest Gate near Ongaonga, his horse had to be shod by the blacksmith because it had thrown a shoe.
After two hours of waiting they began the "long drive in the buggy across the plains" until, weary and sunburnt, the travellers arrived at Forest Gate to find Mrs Herrick "looking out for them". With her was Miss Marshall - a niece - to whom Anna was introduced.
So their holiday began, and the timeless summer days rolled by in a leisurely fashion. Chas enjoyed himself thoroughly, playing and "running about with the children all day", watching the farm workers at the stacks "threshing" the grain, collecting peaches from the orchard, and fishing for inunga and eels in the creek during the evenings which, when caught, they boiled up and ate "considering it quite a treat".
Warm, sunny days were spent going into the bush in a "spring cart", taking with them a picnic of "sandwiches, bread & butter, milk & beer".
Once in the bush, Anna gathered ferns specifically to take home to Dr Spencer while the children gleefully explored their surroundings. Back at Forest Gate, she packed the ferns in a box and during the ensuing days Chas "amused himself watering" them.
At one of the picnics, Colonel Herrick took his gun and shot two kerurū (wood pigeons). Evenings were spent in reading or singing and playing music with Anna performing on the piano, accompanied by Colonel Herrick on the flute, and Mrs Herrick singing.
Adventures were many and varied for the adults as well. Four days after arriving, Colonel Herrick and the three ladies set out early for Mt Herbert, the home of Henry Russell, to attend a house-warming party.
Although the road was "frightful", Anna found Waipukurau "such a pretty village and Mt Herbert a lovely place". The entertainment began with a picnic in the bush, followed by a substantial lunch with well-trained maids at hand to provide for every comfort.
After the "grand" lunch the guests were entertained by a circus. In the evening a dance "with band in attendance" continued on into the early hours of the morning. With so many guests to cater for, on retiring Mrs Herrick, Miss Marshall and Anna slept in the same bed.
After a late rise and breakfast, a photographer from Waipukurau arrived and they posed for photographs before returning home. Two days later, Anna recorded in her diary that, "Col Herrick found the Circus Clown sitting on a bank not far from the house in doleful dumps at having lost his way and missed the troupe".
On another occasion, Col Herrick drove the ladies in the buggy to Oruawharo, the home of Sydney Johnston. After losing their way, the group managed to arrive at the homestead in time for lunch.
On the return journey they had "quite a chapter of accidents". The trace bar of the buggy came away as they were going through a creek and "luckily the horse stood quiet or we might have come to great grief".
After searching for it at length, Col Herrick, who had "divested himself of boots & socks", found the trace bar and put it back together.
Near the end of Anna and Chas' holiday, a black cloud hung heavily over the household - Oswald Herrick (aged 4) had become ill and fractious.
Dr Todd from Waipawa was sent for, arriving the following day about 1 o'clock. Anna was introduced and aptly described him as "a big red-faced Scotchman".
Concern for Oswald was paramount. Anna worryingly wrote, "Oswald seems very ill. Mrs Herrick is very anxious & I do not wonder". The following day Oswald was still extremely feverish and his condition had worsened, so Colonel Herrick rode swiftly to Waipawa to fetch Dr Todd. In consideration to Oswald, Anna and Miss Porter took "the children all down to the creek to fish for inunga so that the house might be kept quiet".
On February 29, Anna and Chas returned to Napier. At the start of the journey, driven by "the boy" rather than Colonel Herrick, they met Dr Todd on his way to again attend the invalid. Anna commented on her friend's broken heart stating, "I'm afraid Oswald is dying & poor Mrs Herrick is giving up hope".
Anna was elated to be back with her family, commenting that "half the pleasure of going away is getting back home again". With the illness of Oswald so fresh in her mind, she was immensely relieved to see her three younger children: "They all look so well. Buzz (the youngest) is so fat. I am so thankful to see them all so well."
The following day a telegram came from Colonel Herrick with the sad news that Oswald had died between 4 and 5pm the day Anna had left.
Anna shared every parent's abhorrent nightmare of a child's death, writing "I feared it would be so – poor Mrs Herrick. I wrote to her."
Two days later, Anna received a letter from Mrs Herrick requesting that she purchase black material from a haberdashery and arrange with a seamstress to make her several mourning gowns. With a heavy heart Anna carried out her friend's request, and arranged to have them sent to Forest Gate. A sad ending to a wonderful summer holiday.
Gail Pope is social history curator at the MTG.
