Capo on third fret C There's a story that you're bound to hear if you're down Otago way about an G outlaw and the dog that bought him C fame of an F ancient Maori trail to a C grassy mountain vale in the G rugged land that bears Mackenzie's C name. And the F station riders say when C Aurob'ralis play and the G stars that form the Southern Cross are C shining high and pale you may F see a phantom collie drive a C ghostly mob of sheep through the mists G along the old Mackenzie C Trail When the G campfires are a blazin' and the C drovin' men are lazin' all G fired with Hokonui mountain C grog there's a F story in the makin' with per- C -haps a little bacon as they G weave their legends round Mackenzie's C dog. Now Mackenzie so the story goes rode the ranges on a steer preselecting squatters' sheep then when he'd done he would tell his collie pup to go back and round them up and to punch them homeward to his mountain run. Then the troopers took the trail swore to bring this Scot to jail and recover all the mossy faces too and they captured him at last in a rugged mountain pass and he went before the judge in Timaru. There was no sign of repentance when Mackenzie heard his sentence but the last words rang from him a broken cry he defied the law and told them that no prison bars could hold him when the judge condemned his faithful dog to die. That was years ago but the records show that Mackenzie kept his word on the evening of a cold and wintery day when he rolled the dice with fate how the troopers fired too late though they wounded him Mackenzie got away Now there are city folks who swear that Mackenzie and his dog were nothing more than thievin' scoundrels wrapped in hair and hide but along the mountain stations where the campfires burn at night you can hear old timers speak their names with pride. There's a story that you're bound to hear if you're down Otago way when the night winds through the mountain passes wail they will tell you tat's Mackenzie whistling home his collie dog through the mists along the old Mackenzie's trail.

McKenzie's Ghost, by Kath Tait, 1973 McKenzie, McKenzie was that you I saw, Roaming them backhills just up from Benmore With 50 odd sheep and a good shepherd's dog. Was it your ghost in the morning fog?... McKenzie and his Dog, Traditional John McKenzie stood in the Mataura store, And looked at the yokes and chains. 'Twas not too dear - good bullocking gear For transporting across the plains... A letter in the "Otago Witness" by Mr. L. Langlands, Highfield, Burke's Pass, 1880s On several occasions sheep in large numbers were missed from the Levels station. Mr. Rhodes came to Dunedin in the hope of hearing something about them. He told me he felt convinced they were brought into Otago, but no traces were left, was at a loss to conceive how, and had to return no wiser than when he came... Article in "Canterbury, Old and New" by Mr. E.W. Seager, Inspector of Police, 1900 Mackenzie was a Highland shepherd, born in Ross-shire, Scotland. About the year 1845 he emigrated to Australia, and two years later arrived in New Zealand, and landed in Nelson. At first he earned a living by sheep driving, and in that way became acquainted with sheep stations in Otago and Canterbury...