OUR HOMELAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19798, 19 November 1927, Page 4 (Supplement)

OUR HOMELAND.

BY ELSIE K. MORTON. j

THE LIMESTONE ROCKS. .v.. Another bright sUtritiier day Was dawning as the Silver Plane flisw northward on its journey. The town of W liangarei was out a bltir of rodls and chimney pots, like a little doll's town, as viewed from above, and all the earth bfeneath was green and bright With the flash of silvep streams winding through the pleasant farms and fertile corintryside. Soon the plane Was passing offer steep lulls, clothed with native bush and magnificent groves of pehga feriis that made-trie #lidie mdtintaiiuside a Vista of lovely green fronds, iviiviiig gently iii the frt&h riiOrriitig breeze. Fir beneath, Sfccie and Pat saw a trdirij Uket a titiV riififehanieal to|, pfamrig gjtetWy in and but the numberless curves of the hillside railway. Then the bush grew more scattered, and the Ifeene Was title of patSlios Of cultivated land, rough clearings and mtihy fiax sWahips. ■ _ At the foot of a high mountain lay Hikurangi, one of the important: coalmining centres of the north. Then the Silver Plario began to fly low. " Arc we going to land ? " asked Pat, looking down curiously. " I don't sco anything very interesting down here!" "Oh, oh!" cried Pixie, suddenly. "Look, Pat!" Pat looked, and beheld one of the most Wonderful and beautiful sights he had seen on the whole lour—a great outcropping of limestohe formations that reminded him a little of the marvellous stalactites and stalagmites he hftrf seen at Waitomo. But nothing in those Wonderful cavils had b&n quite like these hfriestotte rocks. The plane touched grottnd. and the childish arid their gtiide desceiided. "This is Waro," announced the latter, "arid these ire the famous Limestone Rocks." * In Wonderful fluted columns, in huge blocks mounted one upon another, these strange formations towered iip into the blue sky, like the towers, battlements and turrets of a vast ruined city. Dazzling white they, gleamed jn the strong morning sunshine, some of theitt steeplv pinnacled, Other's looking like huge fragments of stone torn by Titan hand from sortitt ftiighly mfediSVal 3HU& Sofoß ©f th§ mighty columns were over foi-ty feet itt height, arid tlieir flutirigs Wero like thi§ carvings of some ancient master hahd. From every crick rind Crevice of the great white rocks peeped forth delicate moss and ferns, and long, trailing sprays of briar rose and other creepers. , » . 4 A.■ Pixie and Pat roamed from one great rock to another, fascinated With the wonder and beauty of the scene. "Is there anything else like this iri New Zealand ?" asked presently. ~ " Nothing else so beautiful," was the reply. " There are many other wonderful limestone formations, but the Waro Rocks are unique, and tout'ets harp fcald that, after Rotcirua and Waitohib, they are the most remarkable of all New Zealand's tourist riitr&eiiottS.'' ' ' . „^ ±i i ; "How marvellously fortunate We seem to be!" said Pat, thoughtfully, "and how glad we all should be thafr-We have all these wonderful sights to show visitors! Do these rocks belong td private people, or io the Government ?" " The Government took over ahorit nineteen acres last year," said their itti'filj " and declared it a scSenie reserve, fclearise there Was danger that the rocks Would all be destroyed." . " Why, who Would ever think of destroying anything so wonderful and beautiful ?" asked Pixie, in ama?.emeht. The griide smiled. " Men Will destroy anything," he told her, " when there is money to bo made by the destruction! Nothing is sacred—bush, river, waterfalls—every form of natural bearity has already been laid low in lovely Newi Zealarid when there is profit to be made. Many of these 'lharvelloris rocks, whifch are the relies of perished eternities arid of deep geological interest, have already been torn down rind ground into lime for commercial purposes. It was only after ceaseless effort oil the part of a few fahseeirig men that the Government could be persuaded to declare everi part of the Umestdri<s fcffca a scenic reserve." , . „ .\ : / , " We!!, 1 am glad they have saved eVett rt part of it," said Pixie, as they took their seats iri the plane once more* " for 1 aril fcttre tnifc no ftft.tief whftt else We see in our tour, We shall see riothiiif riiore strange arid WoriderM than these beautiful rocks!"