It was an eventful journey – by horse, driftwood raft, and finally on foot. Along the way, they encountered quicksand, fought off wild dogs and rats, narrowly escaped a bushfire, and endured the pangs of hunger.
Six weeks after their departure from Dunedin, they returned â€“ ragged and gaunt â€“ to file sketch maps of what they had seen and to lodge their claims to grazing rights.
Rees gained rights to graze more than 240,000 acres in the Wakatipu basin – provided he could stock the land quickly.
That meant driving 3,000 merino sheep across the rugged mountain ranges and fast-flowing rivers that stood between Coal Creek and the Arrow River basin.
It was a daunting task that WG had to accomplish before his grazing rights would be confirmed.