Featherston
6/5/16
Dear People
I suppose you will have received the telegram I sent last night after my arrival here. Well we had a fine trip this far the weather could not have been finer for travelling. We picked up troops at several points on the way, right up to Oamaru but none from there on. Arrived in Dunedin about a eleven & left about twelve we got off the train on its arrival there & marched to the Old Settlers Hall for lunch & from there to the Railway Station to be farewelled. I saw none of the Dunedin folks that we know but amongst such a crowd one would be very luck indeed to pick anyone up. All along the line there were great crowds of people we could see them on their verandahs away up the hills in Dunedin. It go dark before we got to Ashburton & as the sun shone in our eyes we saw very little of the Canterbury Plains. On arriving at Lyttleton after running through ChCh without a stop we were an hour late, & as there was not accomodation on
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board for all those to come across, about one hundred & six men were left behind, most of them from Oamaru. There was also a number of civilians who could not get across although they had tickets. We managed to strike the Maori & altogether there was nine hundred on board, I had a bunk in the dining room, very near the centre of the ship, & I am happy to say landed on this side, carrying my tea, but as it was a very smooth sea & no one else sick there was not much merit in that. We arrived in Wellington about eight in the morning & marched to the barracks for breakfast, had a cup of tea on board at six, & then back to the train bound for here. I saw Jess on the wharf when I came off & also at the barracks after breakfast she also brought Ernest Pennington along, but as I had not time in Well. to go along she said to send her word any time & go for week ends. That is leaving here on Sat’s about half past one & getting to Well. about six & leaving about nine or perhaps later on Sunday night. By the way what is it to be in the N.Z.M.R. the
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infantry went right from the boat to train & on to Trentham so they would not get any breakfast for about another two hours as it is about an hours run out to there & they would hardly get into camp & have breakfast in an hour. Well this place is a regular township made up of regular blocks & huts about twenty feet apart facing streets at both ends. The streets themselves are well gravelled & are now as good as pavement on each side of the streets there are concrete gutters. In the middle of the main streets the places for washing, capable of accomodating up to forty men at a time, and all under roof there is some four or five to a row. There is also fine bath rooms and dining halls reading & writing rooms & electric lighting, in a few words, right up to date. Those of us that arrived last night have had an easy time so far were issued with blankets, mattress, towels, & eating utensils, last night, & this morning we got our bluies, great coats, underclothes, boots, & hat, so we are set up work. We got our bluies on this morning & did a little
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preliminary work. This afternoon we have to ourselves while the others go to bathing & I believe we have tomorrow off as well, but as we do not get our uniform for about a week or more we cannot get leave to go out of camp so it will be stroll round & have a good look at things. One of the first things we found out after getting here is that we belong to the seventeent reinforcements instead of the sixteenth, they say about here it will be the old mans home for us, I believe we will not get away for five months. I saw Lin & his crowd & also Bert last night & a good many others that I know, my bed mate is a young fellow Kirkpatric from up the Lilburn he seems a very fine young fellow, plenty beg your pardon sort. Berts crowd & also the Cycling Corpse left this morning for the deep sea. I have got all I want here but one thing I forgot to put in my bag was a pair of those spring pulties that are there as you might send them along sometime anything else I can get just across the road from the camp.
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I have not yet found out what is the correct address for here but will before I close this & then you will have it. I think that is all there is just now other than that it is a glorious afternoon & that I am feeling quite myself after my strenuous journey there is not mistake it gets very monotonous especially after coming of the boat. There is absolute no bustle between here & Wellington a very interesting run though if one is able to keep awake & enjoy it. I went to sleep after getting on at Well. & slept out nearly to Trentham managed to keep awake for both sides of the Rimutakas. My word it a great engineering feat the railway down this side. So far I am not struck with the look of the country about here. It is mostly in its natural state & very stony. I will now bring this chapter to a close must write some more while I have the time.
So adieu for the present
Ever yours
Charlie
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Tpr C C McIntyre.
17th Otago Mounted Reinforcement.
Featherston Military Camp.
NZ.
