UNDERGROUND PALACES OF THE KING COUNTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13859, 23 March 1907, Page 2

UNDERGROUND PALACES OF THE KING COUNTRY.

lil' VlSITOl!

A comparatively newly-discovered region of extreme interest, is attracting attention at the present time, being rendered accessible by the opening up of the northern Alain Trunk railway line. A very curious field is thus given to the naturalist and geologist. An unpretentious stream, called the Waitomo, gives the name to the countryside, and is responsible for the marvels to be seen. 'J.'he lands drained by the Waitomo, with other springs, lie northwards of the sources of the Mokau River, and are but a few miles from the coast behind the Kawhia. Harbour, oil tho west coast of northern New- Zealand. The district is best reached by leaving the train at a small station called Ilangitiki, north of Taumarunui. The train from the south reaches this station at 10.30 a.m., and people travelling north who wish to visit the Waitomo can do fo by taking a coach drive of an hour's. duration. The coach'meets each train. • The wonders can easily be seen that- day and evening, and tho train caught again next morning. There is good accommodation for the night, and guides are ceady with lights to conduct sightseers over the caverns and grottos of the Waitomo.

As I have just returned from a visit to the place, a description of it may be useful to those who do not know the country. The wonders, of the Waitomc are the extensive. caverns formed by. the action of the,river and by the limestone, of which the hills are largely composed. The country is very beautiful, showing a succession of forest-clad ranges of hills, diversified with quaint out-croppings of limestone rocks. The caves first, shown to travellers ,are the interior of a forest-clad hill of picturesque outline not far from the accommodation house. The river enters the hill on one side and leaves it on the other, and in "the course of ages it has hollowed out the hills at various levels, forming galleries, halls, grottoes, and caverns 'of immense size. Drippings from the limestone rocks have formed myriads of' picturesque stalactites and stalagmites, the former banging from the fairylike roofs of the caverns, and the latter springing from their floors in sizes varying from' a. mushroom to a. dwarf, monkey or giant, as the case may be. Every floor and roof is of dazzling and crystalline whiteness, often sparkling as though set with gems. The guides carry coils of magnesium win and flash lights over the scene, while nearly ail the visitors carry small electric lamps provided for their use.

There, arc two distinct sots of caverns. Those called the, Ruakuri (the Hole of the Dog) are unite a mile awl a-balf distant.from the Waitomo Caves. ,The track lending to them winds over fern-clad hills, a pleasant- walk in fine weather, but somewhat difficult in the rain and the mud through which wo walked, undaunted bv the.weather. We considered ourselves fully rewarded, however, by the. wonders we saw. The caverns* of ihe Ruakuri are formed by another stream which joins the Waitomo at the door of the caves. Here the steep hill is almost a mountain, and precipitous bush-clad heights overshadow the visitor. It is a weird scene, and appears to bo the end of all things—the famous "other end of Nowhere." The bush greenery is in all its primeval perfection, undisturbed by the rude hand of man, and it is to lks hoped that it will long remain so. The caves arc of immense extent, and can be explored for nearly two miles, while many recesses remain still unopened. Cavern is linked t-o cavern and grotto to grotto by high, narrow galleries, with steep sides towering to mighty roofs. All are hung with stalactites of glistening whiteness and varied forms and sizes. Names are given to the various chambers drawn from the forms which seem represented there. In the Ruakuri a feature is the extraordinary sound made the rushing and falling of the underground river, which circulates 011 the lowest floor. Stairs lead from, gallery to gallery and chamber to chamber. Sometimes one is led to stand on the'brink oi some tremendous precipice, below which the river flows in the inky blackness, illumined in Hashes by the magnesium. There is a natural ami exquisite illumination, however, seen in the countless myriads of glow-worms which make their home in the roofs of these fairy palaces. When the 'amps are out the display of the- glowworm lights is marvellous. One of our party had visited many of the wonderful cave's of Europe and America, and yet declared that he had never seen anything to equal the beauty of the starry roofs begemmed with these fairy lights. The glow-worms do not like the nrtilicial lights, and take a little time to recover themselves when our lamps are extinguished. There is a beautiful representation of the starry sky reflected in a broad, dark, and slowly moving river. The glow-worms must have accumulated ill this voof for a very long time. They let down little threads, which appear to form a miniature imitation of the finest stalactites. In the lower levels of the caverns of Ruakuri there are fossilised sea eggs and sea shells, showing plainly that they have at one time been under the sea. There are beautiful impressions of shells to lie seen, and the lower stratas of the limestone are thickly studded with marine deposits. Some cf the later-formed stalagmites make

representations of poached or fried eggs, and some of the crystallised formation is streaked in such a way as to look like bacon. One of the most" beautiful representations is of a. shawl, or. rather, of a blanket. The border is distinctly trnowl as by a Icom. and the design is perfect, even io tho herring-bone stileh on the edge of the material. By far the most- common of the representations are of human figures, mumlnies,.. gnomes, and fairies. One can fancy (lying angels with outspread wings, saints in niches, cherubic heads, linns, and hooded' monks. Various forms of animal life may "be imagined, bears, leopards, elephants, serpents, and there is a- fine model of the sphinx. There are models of considerable size of ;the lost terraces of Tarawera: but perhaps the culminating point of the whole exhibition is the Bridal Chamber, with its canopies and hangings of snowy, sparkling crystal. The stalactites hang in immense ([uanlities from the_roof of. the gro(to, and are of needle-like fineness or of'great thickness, alid from an inch to many feet in length. '. ' Some galleries, seem to represent a freezing chamber witli countless frozen carcases, but this is too mundane a simile. On many terraces snow seems to have fallen and ice appears to glitter. The temperature in the caves is very pleasant, and there is no excessive moisture. Tlio droppings urn extremely slow in most instances, and the floors fairly dry in the long, galleries and great- caverns. Steps have been 'formed and little bridges made for the convenience of visitors. I noticed that the twigs on the wood used, were already

turning info fossils, A drop of water falling on a stalagmite contains proportions of soda, silicate, and salts. When stalagmite and stalactite meet a pillar is formed, but ages may elapse ere this union takes place. People are made very . comfortable at the accommodation house, which has been taken in hand by the Tourist Department, and is well kept- by the manager and his wife, who are young English people and lake a great pride in the place. Every arrangement is made to facilitate a good view of the wonders and provido for the safety of visitors. Even costumes deemed suitable can be hired for a few pence. No one is permitted to procure any specimens or to go into the.cavcs without Iho guides in attendance. Mo doubt as the years roll on an ever-increasing stream of visitors will lake the way that leads to Waitomo. There are great reserves of forest lauds which cannot bo too jealously guarded. The native bush is now almost rare in many parts ,of the North Island. The forests'around Waitomo, howtver, are still of great beauty and density.