CASUAL RAMBLINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9497, 28 April 1894, Page 1 (Supplement)

CASUAL RAMBLINGS.

(BY A. TRAMP, ESQ.} (.FROM THE AUCKLAND WEEKLY NEWS.] AUCKLAND TO WANGANUI. THE GRAND TOUR. Introductory—A Wonderful Bargain—The Big Sixpennyworths—Check to Press Enterprise— Pow-wows—Fostering Local Industry—Anarchy— —Overland Routes— Grand Turk and Grand Trunks—The Grand Tour—On heels—Our Mr. Boomerang—The Tramp Roadster—Buying Boots —Also a Horse—The a.s. 'Waiotahi—Hed-wiml'a Cyclone—Killed by Jack Frost— Bay of Peace—Pleasure loving Ta.ura.nga— the Road —The Halfway House— at Rotorua— be Continued. To the numerous and friendly enquirers after "A. Tramp and Co." I beg to return my best thanks for their sympathetic solicitude, and the kindly interest taken in the fortunes of the aforesaid firm. A mission in connection with the business end of the institution to which we have the honour to belong is a reason for the non-appearance of "Casual Ramblings" for so long a period. I am now commissioned for an overland journey from Auckland to Wanganui, and purpose giving the indulgent readers of the Auckland Weekly News —or such of them as care to read the rambling thoughts, or follow the rambling steps, of an humble caterer for their amusement and instruction—a truthful and succinct account of the tour, with a few comments and observations thrown in, for which no extra charge will be made. The charge for the Auckland Weekly News, 1 may mention, is always the same —all supplements, pictures, and other extras issued with the paper are covered by tho nimble sixpence. For a wonderful bargain in the newspaper goods line the Auckland Weekly News takes the ribbon," nor are the other great weeklies, its contemporaries, far behind it in the race for giving the biggest sixpenny worth. The growth and bulk of the colonial press, more especially tho weekly portion of it, are the wonder of the Australasian age. As a medium for advertising colonial resources, as an agency for the collection and distribution of reliable information, as a mirror wherein the world may see the daily life and progress of the Austral Dominion pictured in its pages, the colonial press is worth millions to colonial credit. But, behold you ! a band of experimental legislators of the penny-wise-and-pound-foolish denominationour own J. G. Ward is in it—calling themselves a postal conference, propose to put an extinguisher on this great newspaper enterprise by increasing the postal duty. What they expect to gain by it, except tho saving of a few mail bags, is not very clear. Surely a few tons more or less is not likely to affect the carrying capacity of the s.s. Gothic and her sister ship«. Newspaper proprietors will probably reduce the weight of their papers to avoid the tax, the reading public will suffer, and the postal exchequers will be no better off. This is a specimen of the way our wise heads foster local industry. Prohibition Leagues determine to "rob the poor man of his beer" and baccy, and postal pow-wows seek to stop his big newspaper. Whatever will the poor man do when his kind friends and protectors have completed their work, and he has no onjoyment left to occupy his leisure hours ! What will he do then ? Anatchise !

There are several overland routes from Auckland to Wanganui. Besides the coastal routes there are the Kuiti-Waitara, via the Lower Mokau; the short railway route, which has never been surveyed or reported upon ; the Stratford railway route, which has been very much reported upon ; and its rival, the Grand Trunk route, which His Highness the Minister for Public Works threatens to lay the railway upon. He has as much intention of carrying out his threat as he has of resigning the Premiership to Sir Robert Stout. The building of grand trunk railways will not be the remarkable feature of Richard the Fourth's reign. If Richard fooled the "rump "of the Auckland Railway League, when it waited upon him the other day, into the belief that he was ignorant of railway routes, I should advise them to discard it. To gain a point His Premiership would not hesitate to hand round a 17st fib, even if it told against himself. He never allows any personal consideration to stand in the way of a political advantage. Then there is the route via Taupo and Hunterville, which, with the exception of the long roundabout Napier route, is the only one available for wheeled traffic. lb is an "old trail" of ours, before it was opened for coaching. With certain deviations this is to be the grand tourist route of the island, and it is the route marked out for ma now, and, as our Mr. Boomerang is still sweetly grazing his merry Christmas happy New Year holidays with his Old and esteemed friend, Mr. James at Hawera, I have elected to do the journey on wheels. The Co", is spending so long a vacation a"t Mr. Livingstone'?, I fear-that, by this time, he imagines he owns the farm. When I say that I am doing this journey on wheels, the gentle reader will please not jump to the conclusion that I am on a " byke;" I wasn't built for a cyclist. Neither am I touring it in a stage caach with four spanking grey horses; although "King Cobb" Peters offered to put me through in that style, which was very kind of him, indeed. We shall hear more of Mr. Peters by-and-byo. But I am not a gilded millionaire, and prefer my own humble chariotnot a wheelbarrow, dear reader, I said wheels. My equipage is a " kerridge," a two-wheeler, harness, and a horse, and a coachman. The harness is attached to the horse, and the horse to the kerridge, and there we are, ready for war—hoop la !—l'm the coachman. The cheapest,* safest, and most comfortable thing on wheels is the "Tramp Roadster"a new and improved style of sulky, invented and built only by Messrs Cousins and Abkin, Elliott-street, Auckland. When I got the route I immediately ordered one and a set of harness to match. There is no trouble in getting fixed up with these things; Cousins and Atkin will supply the one, and Wiseman and Son the other on the shortest notice But when it comes to fitting oneself with a piece of horseflesh it is quite another pair of shoes. Indeed, it requires as much time, and patience, and perseverance to buy a horse as it does ho buy a pair of boots. Auckland's speciality is cheap boots, and I always buy a pair when I come to town, but I pretty well wear out my boots in the process. I wander around her boot palaces, and blue boob, red boot, gold boob, Northern boob, and Southern boot shops, and " McArthur's stock," and examined the marvellous array of shining boots in endless variety of shapes and styles for days before I can make up my mind to purchase. It generally ends in my going into Garratt's, from pure force of habit, and taking the first pair of boots he offers me, which ends my trouble-he has gob my measure. Garratt has promised me a pair of boots for this notice, and I mention it in case I should get drowned with my boots on, so that my heirs, successors, and assigns may put in a claim for the same. And if the editor cuts this out, and loses me that two-guinea pair of boots, and robs my orphans, I'll cut his we I'll cut his acquaintance. Garratt has an eye to business, so have I. It took mo about a fortnight to buy a horse. My second on the job was Mr. James Home, of the Stock Exchange; the operations of that close corporation are not confined entirely to dead stock. Every other man in Auckland seems bo have a horse bo sell. To enumerate all the botfly covered crocks and screws we examined in that time would fill a page of the Auckland Weekly Nkws. At last a young man from the country got over us, and sold us a horse. We think we are satisfied, but are not quite sure about it. The animal is of the same gender as the "missus" of Onehunga, and, as it comes from the far North, Mr Home proposed that we should call it the Mayor of Hokianga, but the motion lapsed for want of a seconder. It was then unanimously resolved to dip its head in a bucket of water, and christen it "Kauri Gum," which was , carried into effect without delay. j

There are two main tourist routes bo Rotorua— per the Auckland-Waikato railway line, the other by steamer to Tauranga, thence by coach bo Roborua. We choose the latter, and shipped the equipage by the Northern S.S. Company's steamer, the steady Waiotahi, commanded by the polite and attentive Norbury, of whose skill in seamanship we have had some experience in the tough old Glenelg. Norbury is a watchful skipper, and puts his boat in " trim" for all weathers; and makes the most of it.

It is with ships as ib is with railway engines, or with horses—some men will get more oub of them than others. Some horsemen will make their journey, and have a "bit" in hand at the finish; others will " finish all oub," if they finish at all. Some engine-drivers will start a heavy train away smoothly, and fly along with their engines going easily at their full capacity, and keep their time-table, while others puff, and groan, and jerk, and snort, and strain their engines the whole distance, and always arrive late. Some Bkippers will make a passage and plough the waves without any apparent effort, and others will thrash, and buffet, and flounder, bucking againsb bhe billows with a great expenditure of noise and wear and bear.

As Captain " Headwind" had been wiring an awful cyclonic croak in addition to his usual prophetic formula of "strong gales," " east to north to south to west, after 16 hours," " same indications as wired yesterday," "glass further fall," etc., the Waiotahi was trimmed and everything made taut and snug to meet the promised gale, and we all prepared for the worst. But the weather prophet was altogether at sea in his reckoning. We had the unexpected pleasure of a quiet and comfortable passage, and the prophecy remains unfulfilled unto this day. Capt. Edwin's predictions, like women's dreams, "go by contraries." The terrible cyclone centre turned out a heavy frost John Frost, I presume, is the anti-cyclonic influence which Edwin has since discovered to have been at work and upset the cyclone's apple cart. The Waiotahi was a full ship—overflowing, in —and the chief steward was kind enough to give me his bunk, a kind of steward one does not often meet with. There being some athletic sports a-foot in Tauranga, a strong contingent of the Auckland branch of the fraternity, with the popular Mr. Albert Glover at its head, were hither bound. The chief characteristic, I note, about Tauranga is that it gives itself a minimum of work and takes a maximum of pleasure. The year is mainly composed of high days and holidays, and the nightswell, it seems to always be everybody's night out. The constant and gentle reader of these " Ramblings" has, doubtless, noted long ago how descriptively weak I am on sea scenery and oceanic observations, bub I am one of your poor sailors, I never feel at home on the ocean, and am often very sick at sea. This is a weakness of the stomach, not of the heart or head. Many of our most popular naval celebrities were affected that way. It is said that our England's greatest sea bulldog, the immortal Nelson, was always sick when he went to sea, after a run ashore. 1 imitate that other immortal hero, Sir Joseph Porter, K.C.8., and when the stormy winds do blow, "seek the seclusion which a cabin grants," to inspect and admire the artistic design and dimmed brightness of the ship's tinware, or, as it sometimes happens to be, earthenware. Never having had the convenience of a royal yacht placed at my disposal, I am an utter stranger to a rare old China utensil on board ship. There is nothing aesthetic about the lowly tinware article of usefulness, but it is really surprising what intense interest is taken in the contemplations of its shape, style, and size by all sorts and conditions of ladies and gentlemen. The " hat" was not in much request crossing the Bay of Plenty. It seldom is, and }'. am told when " hedwins" and gales are raging on the main, and along the coast, all is calm and still in the Bay of Plenty—as Captain Norbury suggested, it should be called the Bay of Peace.

We arrived at Tauranga in due course, and the equipage was promptly discharged. On the wharf we were cordially greeted by number of old friends, among them several old " Thames Jokers," and all affectionately enquired after Boomy. Then wo drifted up to our esteemed and never-to-be-forgotten friend, Host Whitcombe, of the Masonic Hotel, where we refreshed, and stayed to dinner. We dined on roasb peacocks—sotno people mistook them for pheasant, but as everyone knows the king of game is not in season just yet, and friend Whitcombe is too loyal a subject and too good a sportsman to eab pheasant out of season. They were peacocks sure enough —or else very tender chicken. And we had other delicacies dear to masonic hearts. During dinner I discovered the only excitement, outside the ordinary everyday business, was the discussion of the ways and means of forming the Kaima Road, an operation that would bring Tauranga within 32 miles of a railway station, Manga whare to wit. I know nothing of merits or demerits of the road in question, but I have no doubt the local organ, and the Auckland Weekly News' resident correspondent will attend to it, and give full weight and justice to its claims. My own belief is that every road opened benefits not only its particular district, but the whole colony. A district or country that is rich in roads must thrive, and a road making Government is sure to last the longest. After dinner we got steam up on the "Equipage," and bidding adieu to pleasure-loving Tauranga in general, and our kind friends in particular, we set out for Rotorua, Mr. Harrison, the genial manager of some of the "Globo Assets" Company's properties, putting us fairly on the road "to Taupo," so the finger-post said. Rotorua was our objective point, and Rotorua is 60 miles this (Tauranga) side of Taupo, but that does nob matter to the finger-post, or to those who planted — possibly it may have been erected before Rotorua was discovered.

For ten or twelve miles the road is certainly elevating if nob exhilarabiug, and ib means a lob of collar work before we gob hoisted to the top. What with the soft sand, and the steep grade, poor Kauri Gum, who was suffering from seasickness, made heavy weather of it. From the top of the ridge we look back and down upon a beautiful pamoramic view of bhe Bay of Plenty—a pleasure in itself worth the trip. For bhe nexb eighb miles we are in bhe bush. Darkness caught us on the edge of ib, bub the moon was fasb rising over bhe " tree-tops," and our own electric light of two wax candle power lit up the shady spots, and the equipage moved slowly and carefully up and down and around the spurs —darkness and a strange road makes you careful, doesn't it?—till we reached the Halfway ;" a house of entertainment kept by Mr. Douglass, a hero of the eruption. Anyone wishing a true and faithful account of that awful catastrophe, should see Mr. Douglass. He kindly offered ib to me, but 1 withstood the temptation. It was long after tea-time when we arrived there, but a pigeon and potatoes were quickly stewed, and I made a very satisfactory supper; Kauri Gum and the other portion of the equipage was attended to by the ostler in charge of the coaching stables. A clean and comfortable bed was provided. We had a good night's rest, and a decent breakfast, and resumed our journey. Eight miles more of bush (there are sixteen miles altogether) brings us to the edge of the plateau, and we obtain a glimpse of the blue water of Lake Rotorua. and the township, a cluster of white specks, and the floating steamdrifts of geysers. We now rattle along down the hill and on to the flab and round the lake. Six miles from Rotorua we pass a school of Mauri children at play, and dazzled the natives with the brightness of the equipage, which an old man-eater wanted to buy out, but we could not part with it, nob just .then. We arrived at Lake House Hotel in time for lunch, placing the equipago in charge of Mr. Robertson, the proprietor of the Tauranga-Roborua line of coaches. Mr. Robertson's coaches run in connection with the Northern Company's steamers. Passengers leaving, say, with the Clansman on Friday evening arrive ab Rotorua early in the afternoon of the next day. This saves the disagreeable coach journey in the dark between the present railway terminus and Rotorua. Passengers by rail arrive ab the township about nine at night. Tourists in search of health, change of air, and scenery cannot do better than take the Tauranga route' either going

or returning. The fares are most reasonable. Two pounds from Auckland to Roborua, and three pounds there and back, is cheap enough. The steamer fare for a horse and buggy is 355, and anyone can do their own coaching if they choose. So far so good, we are safe in Rotorua. We shall see how they treat us, and when we reach Wanganui we may again be expected , (To be heard from).