THE NORTHERN WONDERLAND.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8793, 14 May 1894, Page 2

THE NORTHERN WONDERLAND.

WELLINGTON, May r t. The Minister for Education has returned from hia Northern tour, filled with enthueiastia admiration o£ the natural wonders and exquisite beauties of the far North, and what ia of more moment, has some practical idea of the way in which these marvels of nature may be turned to profitable account. Hie journey carried him North through the famous Awarua block, which he describes as the moat eminently beautiful tract of New Zealand bush he has seen, through the volcanic regions of Taupo and Rotorua, and right onward to the temperate zone of the Bay of Islands, near Hokianga. During, his journey he inspected fifteen Native schools north of Auckland, which he found in a fair state of efficiency. Many of these are, of course, in remote Native districts, and to reach them involved some arduous travelling both by land and water. Of the agricultural possibilities of many of the email alluvial valleys of this temperate clime, Mr Beeves thinks highly. In a cottage garden in a remote settlement he found growing in eemi-tropio luxuriance the plantain, the orange, the lemon, the olivej the magnolia, and elsewhere the bougainvillea and the most gracefnl and beautiful of - the Queensland palms. Mr Beeves is very emphatic as to the possibilities of the development of tourist traffic through the Hot Lake country, the attractive parts of which are, be contends, unvisited by the ordinary tiaveller. Hβ will first do his best to urge the immediate completion of the last section, eight miles, of the Auckland to Rotoroa Railway, which.is already in a very forward state, and may be quickly completed at small cost if handled energetically. With rail connection to Rotorua and improved facilities for the examination of the surrounding country, where are many etrange wonders rarely visited, there should be a great access of tourist traffic if the attractions of the place are properly advertised. But it is the country betwixt Rotorua and Lake Taupo that Mr Reeves most of all desires to bring within the ken of the curious traveller, the leisured* globe trotter, or the colonial holiday maker. He would alter the present south road towards Taupo to pass by the geyser marvels of Orakei Korako, where may be seen a seething column of water that springs to a height of 150 ft. Arrived upon the northern shore, the tourist of the near future should take the launch or canoe and voy&ge across the Great Lake or follow its margin to Tokaono, unci should strike south-west over the new coach road to Pipiriki, and take steamer to Wanganut and down that beautiful river. Or, if he elects to traverse the rich virgin laud of the Awartta block, with its wealth of fern and forest, he may come due south to Hunterviile, and thence by train to the

capital. Here is a choice of routes from Rotorua to Wellington, so attractive that, the enthusiastic Minister cannot find adjectives'enough to sufficiently convoy lib admiration. So much is lie iniptesse.l tliiu, lie would have his colleagues taks such action as would make the region of umrvols and of beauty an objective point for ;ii C tourists of the world.