Wednesday 21 February 2007

The Butler

On our way from Christchurch to Ahuriri, Nic and I, at my insistence, detoured slightly up the Rangitata River to pop in on old Samuel Butler. He wasn't in, but it was a nice drive all the same.

This is the valley, a little past the Peel Forest, where you first hit the valley proper.

At the end of the road you find Mesopotamia settlement. Butler lived around here somewhere, a bit of a walk from the road we were on though, so instead I photographed the school.

And the AA sign.

It was while living around here that Butler wrote Erewhon. You can read it here - if you like.

2 comments:

a camera in the world said...

I used to have holidays near there as a kid......

Anonymous said...

Didn't we decide that the mound between the school and the former war memorial was Sam's house? Good thing he wasn't home as it might have been a bit awkward with him inviting us in for tea, and being all house-proud and that, and us trying desperately not to point out his house was just a lump of dirt. I hear Will Shakespeare has a much nicer house - a restored tudor cottage or something. Just goes to show how support for the arts here compares to other countries.