WITH TENT AND

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20091, 21 November 1930, Page 5

WITH TENT AND

motor. ANOTHER CHRISTMAS holiday. LAKE WAIKAREMOANA AND ROTORUA. A NEW COMBINATION. '"'i'i.iU; -n-jtrrrsis top. the tuvss.) [By "Trip."] (All Eights f{«orvtd.) ■kfotor-cacnpsni who intend Roinfj afield at Winsifrifts and wh<s tvani any information regarding roadis, etc., urged to aend in thfcir queries curly, M Uiesft are dealt with lli rotation. "Trip" is prepared to look ov«r .liiiarfcries and make Bugrgentiona for thetr irrtprovemorii. AH queries Bhould be accompanied by- a stamped addressed envelope, forwurdad to "Trip," P.O. Box 1178, Wellington. A briftf holiday of absorbing interest that becomes possible for the first time this season i 3 or.e embracing both L&ko Waikaremoaua in Hawke's Hay, and RotOrua. The new road between Buatahuria and the lake, the opening of which was celebrated recently, puts Rotorua within very much easier access of Gisborne, and makes an alternative route from Napier, very little longer than that usually followed, via 'laupo. Because oi its novelty and its many great attractions, this particular road will probably be more popular than any other short section in tho North Island this summer. Traversing the wild and mountainous Urcwera country for the greater part of its way, this road goes through forest, the like of which can be seen in few places. It is comparubla in every way with tho inajjitificdtit scenery of the West Coast of the South Inland, and with tho very best that the Nofth Islam! can offer elsewhere. An additional attraction of this route, especially fo thosft who have but little time fo spend afield, is the diversity offered by tv.-n such places as Waikarernoar.a and Rotorua. A Ore at Bound Trip. The opening of this new road muKCi a great round trip possible, and although the Object of these present articles is to give details of journeys that will take onlj a few days, it is worth while mentioning for the benefit ot those who have longer, that with Na£ior as a base, the best way of seeing this section of the island is to go up through Wairoa to Waikaremoana, thence to Rotorua. ar.d return via V.'airakei and Taupo. Places to camp: At Wairoa, motor camp near river; at Lake Waikaromoana, near ftofeie Bay; Kotorua, best equipped camplhg ground in North Island: V.'airakei, camping ground opposite hotel: Taupo, camp in reserve, near viver ( or round the shores of the lake. Things to see: Waikari monna power station; lake outlet, near Onepoto (good camping spot';; Aniwaniwa falls: Jjiilto Waikare-iti, with island on -which there i* another lake; Whaka with boiling pools, ete.; sanatorium grounds and gardens; Fairy springs; Mokoia island; run to top of Mt. NgongOtfthft for wonderful view of Bh}' o£ Plenty; round trip (launch across Tarawera and Itotoriifthana); Wairnkei valley.

Assuming that the motorist ia starting from the vicinity of either Mnpior or Hamilton, whieh would be the mo*t convenient means of access from north and south respectively, the run through to liotorua (from the north), or Waiknremoana (from the south) could be accomplished in one day. In a week, it would be possible to visit both place?, have a fairly quick run round, and return home again, so that tlic journey is an idea) one for Christmas motorcampers with limited tinia at their disposal, Great Camping Region. The Taupo-Rotorua region iias for years been a great 011 c for motorcampers, and in rush times the facilities both a' Taupo and at Rotorua are excellent. Apart from the recognised camping grounds, though there are hundreds of places by the wayside where camping is made pleasant by the natural Surroundings, while for fishermen TaUpo in Netv Zealand's Mecca. For those whose holiday is brief, the Waikaremoana-Rotorua combination offers glorious contrasts. On the one hand you have Kature at her most peaceful stage, with interesting bush rambles and launch trip* over the lake, While at Rotorua you tee her in more angry mood. Apart altogether from the attractions of Wfiikitremoana, the run through the tTrewera would be worth making, for the scenery there, hitherto reserved for the tramper and the horseman, in magnificent. Those who have not befen to Rotorua previously will probably want to make that the principal item in the trip, And Vrill bs content with a run through the Urbwera road, and possibly a day at the lake Itself. At Christmas Rotorua is crowded with holiday-makers from every nook and corner of both Islands, and there is an atmosphere of enjoyment apparent everywhere. A New Year's Eve spent at either Rotorua or Wairakei is a thing to be remembered. Accommodation is at a premium, of course, and practically every square inch of the large camping ground will be Covered with tents. The facilities are unrivalled and include such minor luxuries as showers and a continuous supply of hot water, While hot bathß and various other odds and ends can be secured at nearby houses for modest aums. The milkman calls at your tent morning and afternoon, and there are stores dotted about within a few hundred yards of where you happen to be, ad your camping there will be on a luxurious «eal«. You can even get hot meals cooked at a canteen just outside the main camping ground. Usual and Unusual. I suppose the average Rotorua visitor eoes Whaka, has a run through the gardens and some baths at the Government bath house, does a round trip, and then flits away With the feeling that he has seen all. 1 have been to Rotorua half a dozen times all told, and have stayed for varying lengths of time from a day or two to A fortnight, artd I have never failed to find soma ne'# place "worth seeing. It U well #orth while having a rua round oa any of the roads leading out of Rotorua, for In practically every direction you will come across something to interest you. Tho run up to the top of Mt. Ngongotaha (you go out on the Fairy Springs

road ar.d turn to the left where you see the road leading towards the mountain) is one that comparatively few motorists tackle, but from the trig station at the top you get a superb view ox the greater part of the Bay of Plenty. The road is narrow, and you have to go carefully, for there is very little room for two cars to pass, but any ear can mako the journey, arid the smaller tho ear the irtore easv to negotiate Borne of the sharpest of. tiie corners. Lake Okataina was another beauty spot I did not discover until I had been to Rotorua several times, but if you want a peaceful day or two by a bush-clad lake you should go there. The full-day launch trip across Lake Rotorua to Hamurana Springs and through to Lake Rotoiti makes a welcome break from the car, and on a sunriy day gives you a perfect journey that is hard to improve upon. These are the unusual things that are done by tho few; the majority merely do the obvious, and go to Whaka, etc. At AVaikaremoana the opportunities for using tho c-.&r are few and far between, and most of the journeys there will be made afoot or by launch. On the road through from Rotorua there will be endless opportunities to camp, •lad walk to n64rby peaks. The writer baa not thrdugh the tTrewera for eotne years, but knows the locality well, and eaa appreciate the great advantages opebed up by the new road. Truly this area offers a holiday unique in New Zealand, and if time allows the inclusion of Wairakei and Taupo, it will be even more interesting