MOTORING.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXX, Issue 11175, 7 April 1930, Page 2

MOTORING.

"with tent and motor. EASTER IN THE NORTH ISLAND. • i Art ,: \ v ; ; : y : '. , • : SHORT RUNS AND ROUND TRIPS. ■ (By “Trip.’?) (All Rights Reserved.) As next week’s article closes this series, motorists who want any information regarding roads ' or' -motor-camping, should write at once to .‘Trip, “ P.O. Box 11/8, Wellington, enclosing a stamped addressed envelope for reply. IT it weren’t, for the unmetalled stretches on the roads north of • Auckland, the reconungndation of an Easter holiday in the Ear North could wholeheartedly be made for all those who wanted a really free anil enjoyable holiday amidst some or out most delightful scenery. It is pretty certain though that those who ventured up there during the Christinas break won’t-be passengers tins Easter, for with the showery weather roads broke up and many a good ear was badly hogged. The train, of course, provides a solution, for once beyond Maungaturoto the roads are quite respectable. North Auckland is worth considering if the weather is very settled, otherwise the journey may well be postponed till next summer, by Avhich time connecting roads should be metalled. Thanks to the metalling of recent years, however, there are plenty of short round trips to he made to' interesting places, while yet keeping us within easy distance of home, so that really bad weather need not worry us greatly. SHORT JOURNEYS IDEAL, Probably at this time of the year, tho short journey is the best, for you are then more independent of bad weather and can if necessary return to your starting point. Where Easter is tho principal break of the year though, there is a natural desire to go a.s far as possible, and there are plenty of round trip holidays possible without- ever leaving good roads. As mentioned in a previous article, the Coromandel Peninsula is a particularly happy hunting ground for this time of the year, and, from the north, this makes a good round trip, the run out being made through Hamilton and the return journey through Pokeno. A longer and stiii better, run from the north would Indown through Hamilton and • Cambridge to Arapuni, and thence out through Putaruru to Rotorua. Then, with good weather, you would have the opportunity of . running up through Tauranga to Wa.il) i and Thames, and then holidaying on I la: peninsula. Another good run from the north, taking in tho National Park and the Wnitomo Caves, at both ol which places . provision is made for motor-campers, -would hi down through To Knit! find on through Tauniarumii' to National Park. Then you could make to Taupo and Wairakei (and to Rotorua ii (.here was sufficient time) and back up through Putaruru and Hamilton., The King Country roads in tlie vicinity of Taumaruiuii and Rauriinu are pretty rough, but with chains you would get through except in I lie worst of weather. RUNS from the south. A very popular run at Christmas for .motor-campers from tin*, southern portion of the island was up through Wanganui and Raetihi, and thence to National Park. From here there is a good road running to Tokaanu and thence to Taupo. Wairakei can he visited, and the return journey made through Napier. From Wellington this trip could he done m front four to five days, although course it is better to have more turn* on hand. One road to lie avoided at this time of the year is that trom Waiouru to the point where it joinsthe Waimarino-Taupo road. ibis road Las been in had order tins year, and earlier in the summer some motorists who got out on it "in wet weather had difficulty m gettbiy through without being stuck. Only if the weather is absolutely settled should this road he taken. _ For those who have not visited it (lie Taranaki area is one of the best at tins time of the year. There are real good camping grounds m all the towns from Wanganui up, those at Haw-era arid New Plymouth being specially good. Dawson’s Falls am Wit. Egmont can be visited, the latter from both southern and- northern sides, while a day or two at Opunake and another one or two at New Plymouth will be found all too short. The roads are so very good throughout the whole of Taranaki that ’t makes every holiday there absolutely safe as far as getting to vour destination is concerned. A UNIQUE TRIP. There is one unique trip that may be possible this Easter, and it will work in admirably- with a round trip from either the ‘Napier or the Gisborne end. It depends on whether oi not-the short section of road between Hoporuahine on tlie shores of Lake Waikaremonna, and tiie Lake House, is completed, and it will depend too. i>n fine weather. On this round trip you would be very close to Rotorua at one stage, so could easily go in there if you wished to do so. The run I suggest, is from Napier to Taupo and Wairakei. Then ,you go up on the road to' Rotorua, turning off just beyond Waiotapu, on to the Rotorua-To Whaiti road, which carries you down tli rou rdi tlie Ure wen i to the shores of beautiful Yv aikaremoaiia. The return iournev would lie made through Wairoa. Coming from Gisborne, you would simply reverse the process, making up through Wairoa to the lake, and thence to Taupo and Napier. If pushed for time, this run which (at Wairakei gives yon contact with the most active of ail our thermal regions, and in addition takes you through the heart of virgin forest such as is unrivalled- for beauty in the whole of the , island.- could be made in three day-s. I don’t for a minute suggest that it should. be rushed like that—a week won Id t be all' too short—but there is no need to' deny, yourself the journey because your time is limited. I have not. mentioned the mambeaches to.which easy- access can be obtained at all times, as these will already be known to most of those who wish to visit them. Easter camping is always fraught with the danger of ■ wet weather, although it very, often happens that the weather then is -much more settled than during our so-called '.summer. Its - lateness this year. makes the possibility of wet . weather greater than usual, and it is well therefore to be thoroughly- prepared by taking extra bedding and plenty of old clothes. If you do, that, there .will be no'vain regrets.