THE ROTORUA EXCURSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 5, 7 January 1895, Page 2

THE ROTORUA EXCURSION.

One of the lasb acts of Mr Hudson, bhe late manager of our Auckland railways, before leaving for bhe Soubb, was the inauguration of cheap excursion trips beCween Auckland and Rotorua. For the small

sum of £1 first-class and 10s second-class

per head, our citizens were enabled to visib the chief show-place, nob only/of .he Auckland province bub of bhe whole colony,,'and sufficienb time waß allowed* them to enjoy t»he«_any wonderful sights that are bo be seen in. the lake district. The excursion was a marvel of cheapness. To be conveyed 171 miles by rail and taken back again afber a stay of some three days is an advantage hardly to be looked for in. a young and sparsely populated colony like this, Such cheap trips are only common in much older countries. . ' ■ . .

We do nob know bow this departure on bhe parb of bhe local railway authorities turned oub financially. For the sake of the many who have hob yeb visited Rotorua and Whakarewarewa, not to speak of the Waiotapu Valley and Wairakei, one musb hope bhab the venture paid well, and thab from time to time excursions to the Wonderland at equally cheap rates will be organised. If it should be thab the inaugural trip was nob so largely pabronised as the aubhorities expecbed we are Bure thab in each successive excursion bhere will be less cause for complaint on thab poinb. The few scores who gazed on bhe wonders of Whakarewarewa and bathed in those delicious waters, will not) fail to advertise the place among their friends, and where only ten go now, hundreds will be going in the near fubure.

The Governmonb has conferred a very greab boon on Auckland in opening up the railway to Rotorua, and again Mr Hudson has conferred anobher by acting on Mr Seddon's suggestion and organising a cheap excursion trip to the districb. Bub bhere yeb remains a greab deal to be done before this mosb interesting region can be madeaccessible to thelarge numbera whoareanxious to make its acquaintance. Something has yet to be done by the Government and something by private enterprise. Ab preBenb the cosb of visiting the sights ab any distance from Roborua is prohibitive to the ordinary excursionist. To the tourist who has come with plenty of money to spend, the charges for conveyance to the more remote wonders of the districb may not be of much accounb. They may compare somewhab unfavourably wibh bhe cosb of travel on the continent of Europe, bub he has come prepared for excessive expendibure, and does nob complain. With the poor excursionist the case is very different. He gets to Rotorua, whets his appetite for the miraculous on Waikite and Pohutu, and is burning to see still greater marvels, when be learns that the cosb is beyond his scanty meane, and has to content himself with drawing imaginary pictures. Supposing that be manages to meet the preliminary charges of locomotion he arrives ab the threshold of the poinb of attraction only to encounter a native who demands an exorbitant toll before he can enter.

For bhe cheapening of the fares between Rotorua and the places of interest in the district we nmatflook bo private enterprise. The Governmenb has done much when ib has conveyed us aba low rate bo Rotorua itself. But we certainly think that as soon as can be they should take steps to probeeb visibors from the excessive charges levied by bbc natives. The peraistenb mulcting one has to submit to at every step produces a feeling of irritation and takes away from the enjoyment of the excursion. During the presenb season bhe complaints have been louder than ever, and with good reason, for ib seems that every year the rapacity of the natives ia increasing. If the money they demand as tolls was of any real benefit to them it would not mabter so much, bub its effecb has been bo encourage laziness and gambling and bo mako many of the natives as sturdy and degraded beggars as any company of Neapolitan lazzaroni.