ROTORUA GEYSERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 166, 13 June 1927, Page 5

ROTORUA GEYSERS.

WONDERS OF PAST YEARS. PROBLEM OF RESTORATION. If tho wonders of Waikite and Wairoa, those two spectacular geysers of Rotorua, could be revived. Rotorua’s reputation would be made. A novel suggestion to bring about a resuscitation is made by Mr A. E. Bryant, who lived for ten years in Rotorua, and was formerly in charge of Wairakei. He does not pretend to have any scientific knowledge, (says the Auckland Star), but he lias closely observed, and his theory has at least the appearance of plausibility. “1 am satisfied that there is an intimate connection between geyser activity and water,” he said to a reporter who asked him to explain his idea. “Most geysers are found alongside streams. You will notice that at Wairakei, and every tourist knows the geyser action alongside the Parenga stream that runs through Whakarewarewa. You may have noticed that during wet weather Pohutu, at Whakarewarewa, - always becomes active, while in dry weather it does not play so frequently. In the wet weather you can nearly always depend on it for a display. “When I was down at Wairakei I had my water theory confirmed by the manner in which they make two geysers play tho Prince of Wales’ feathers and another. This is brought about by temporarily damming up a stream of water and turning it into these geysers so that they are flooded. After it certain time, which is remarkably constant, the geysers begin to play, and when tho temporary stoppage to the stream is removed the action ceases. Then there is the case of tlie Crow’s Nest on the river bank near Taupo. As soon as the snow waters come down and raise the level of the river the geyser becomes active; when the river is low it ceases. “My idea to restore a geyser activity at Whakarewarewa is to put in a small dam on the Parenga stream, at the back of the Geyser Hotel, where it is 2 bout eight feet from bank to bank, ihe water occupying about half that width by a couple of feet deep. It would be quite a simple matter, I am convinced in my own mind that raising the level of this stream would revive tho activity of the geysers. “When I wrote to the Minister in charge of Tourists Resorts he referred the matter to Mr A. Warbrick, who seemed to think cold water would kill a geyser. However, I don’t think there is much in that objection, because down at Rotorua, just off Picnic Point, right out in tho lake itself, we have geyser action—in the actual lake itself.” Mr 33ryant said that he had put his ideas fully before the people in charge down at Rotorua, but they feared to experiment with Parenga stream as he suggested. “Why they think fhe raising of the creek would be dangerous, ” said lie, “I cannot understand, because raising the river level by means of a dam would not be any different from the natural raising of the level of tho stream by flood water caused by exceptional rains. “Whether I am right or wrong in my theory, I cannot say, but my observation of geyser action convinces me I am right, and there would be no harm, and certainly no expense, in trying out my suggestion to raise the level of the Parenga stream.”