THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 1908. THE TONGARIRO PARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13846, 4 September 1908, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 1908. THE TONGARIRO PARK.

..■ _—— ■».. — ■ f Is 1894 the Tongariro National Park was created by Act of Parliament, and although this unique and wonderful domain is still little known by the world at large,..or. even by our own people, it is gradually establishing a reputation not inferior to that of "-any wonderland on the globe. The report of a botanical survey of this most fascinating region, which as long as the Dominion endures will be free and open to every visitor, whether pleasureseeking tourist or scientific investigator, has now been published, by the Lands Department, and is of supreme interest. Far from being only a botanical disquisition and catalogue, the report of Dr. Cockayne covers lightly the manifold historical and scientific phases of the region in question, and deals with the botanical phase in ■ a manner which will hold the intelligent reader to the end. We will not attempt to summarise here this invaluable contribution to our scientific knowledge of the land we live.' in, but gladly take advantage of the publication of Dr. Cockayne's report to draw public attention to the attractions of this magnificent National Park, which the completion of the Wellington-Auckland connec- ! tion is making more accessible than it has hitherto been, and which will, when adequately opened up, be universally recognised as one of the most interesting regions in the %vorld, and assist in drawing to our shores an ever-increasing stream of tourists from every European country. The Hot Lakes region in the North, the Cold Lakes region in the South, with the wonderful scenery of the Sounds and the .-matchless beauty and picturesqueness of many parts of this Dominion are attrac- 1 tions which will not wither with age i nor pall by familiarity. It is need- i less to compare them with one an- I other for every weird or majestic | scene has attraction and fascination of its own. But with all-respect for any and every other part of., our islands, it may be asserted without fear of contradiction that the Ton-; National Park would not suf- -•< fer by any comparison. For in it are collected manifold and varied objects of interest such as would be ] extremely difficult to 'find :in any j similar area, though every continent were ransacked for a rival. Nothing J is lacking. The weird and the won- j derful, the beautiful and the majestic, the fascinating and the terrifying and the awe-inspiring, are all to be found within the borders of the Tongariro National Park. Other parts of the world can offer to the tourist and the scientist greater rivers, higher mountains, more active volcanoes, wider lakes, bigger glaciers, larger boiling springs* and lakes, vaster forests, broader plains. But in the Tongariro National Park all these features are to be found, displayed in a vivid juxtaposition as though Nature had sought to make an exhibition of all her processes. There Ruapehu rises, for over 9000 ft, amid its glaciers, displaying the steam-signals of volcanic activity to travellers by the Main Trunk who do not pass in the night. There is Tongariro itself and Ngauruhoe, with their innumerable signs of volcanic activity ; their weird plateaux and mysterious lakes ; their lava-flows and their moving sands ; their boiling pools and their icy streams ; their beautiful forests and their sylvan glades. Its only drawback is one which we hope the Government will remove as fast as possible, for when this region is made accessible it cannot fail to attract multitudes of visitors. It is true that the Dominion has an endless number of claims upon its very limited finances, and that if the Government had double the money it has, every penny could be easily spent. But there are two forms of developmental expenditure which promise permanent and profitable returns : the opening up of lands for settlement and the opening up of scenery for tourists. If the Government rid itself of the incubus of political influence and confined its expenditure to public purposes which are promising business investments, we should see these forms of expenditure much more favoured ' than at present. The Dominion cannot perpetually continue to spend immense sums upon railways that lead to no great increase in traffic, or upon roads that lead to no increase in the national revenues. Our financial security depends upon the public money being spent where it will obtain prompt " and steady return. After the building of railways and the making of roads which will help in the settlement of idle land and in the carrying to market of agricultural produce, there is not a more profitable • investment for a scenic country like- this, than the advertising of our many attractions and ■ the providing of adequate facilities for the seeing of such natural tourist resorts as the Tongariro National Parj£ B '/ ~../ J; .; . ..; ... .... v ;