Poem by Clive Sligo
In
the Pararaha Valley,
beneath a towering bluff
is a tiny timber Shelter,
built for those who've had enough
of the turmoil of the city,
and are seeking to control
oppression of the city life,
and recreate the soul.
So the Auckland Catholic trampers
by inscription do record
and dedicate the shelter
to their founder Leslie Ward.
All his life Les tramped the Ranges,
every valley, track and stream;
'twas a tramping education
to be one of Les's team.
For to know and love the bushland
was his simple life-long goal,
And the Ranges of Waitakere;
well he loved them heart and soul.
Now in the Pararaha
rest his spirit with the Lord,
and the Shelter stands a memorial
to the life of Leslie Ward.