The Traveller.

Otago Witness, Issue 1427, 29 March 1879, Page 9

The Traveller.

JL TOUR IN SEARCH OF HEALTH. The writer fell into a very bad state of Siealth some time ago, and among other projects set up for his recovery those of a sea voyage and a residence at the hob springe of Waiwera were very sbrongly recommended. Accordingly he gave up his post, and taking advantage of the liberal offer •of return tickets made by the U.S.S. Co., left Dunedin by the fine steamer Arawata ior Lyttelton and Wellington. Suffic'ent iiime was given at the former plac ) for a run through to Christchurch and a ramble over the delightful Domain, Hagley P»rk, &c, as well as a good look through tbe principal streets of the town. The Museum, unfortu aiately, was closed. Three days had to be s p 3nt in Wellington ere the steamer going Worth arrived, but the days were by. no'me'm3 'wasted. There was plenty to see in the City — the Museum, Botani; Gardens, &c, as well as some pretty p'acsi in the immediate vicinity. Even tbe tramway was a new experience of a moat pie smt aiature. The stay in Welliogbon iocludeil a *un up tbe Hutt railway, which t> ay. rae3 a fine agricultural district for a long way. The difference inclimiti between Duncdia -and Wellington made ifaelf apparent in the growth of maize in the opea field, and the irequent presence of tin nikau palm along 4he edges of the bush. Progress further northward was maele in the fine sleiiner Wanaka, which, however, was very much, overcrowded. But this aud the o* her oun■sequent disagreeabihtics were cheet fully submitted to, and generally laughed at. The first night on board was very rougb, with a high turnbliog sea, which caused a good deal of suffering to ;some of the passerjgers, but the weather •cleared in the morniif, auel the sea gradually went down till arrival off N jier. A good many went ashore here, but neatly &,s many came on board, so the crow-ling was no way diminished. The sail up to Gisborne was very pleasant —smooth sea aad li/jht ■head wind. Tlw first part of the run to Tauranga was very enjoyable, group » of islands being always in tight. The sight, however, of this y;a t of the voyage was los v , for the Wanaka passed White Island ia ths -dark, and nothing could be seen of it but a <big dark mass, with smoke issuing from its top. Tauranga we found a lovely pbee, with a fine capacious harbour, aid some 4jcod scenery all round. A good many of Afche passengers went ashore and visited the Cemetery, where are buried those who fell -at the taking of the celebrated Gate Pa. There are many graves, both of officers and men. The remainder o£ the voyage was -characterised by smooth seas and pleasant weather, pasaiog agaii many fine islands. ■Cape Colville waa roucelid in the dark, und Auckland waa reached betwern 3 -and 4 o'clook in the morning. Wewci'tod >on board till 6, and then drove to the nearest hotel. Auckland unlike' other New Zealand towns in having the sbreets runutDg away from the water instead oE running parallel with it. Its principal business stieet, Queen .street, ia a fine one, but irregularly built, and possessing some very fine bm'dngs. The upper parb of the town is finely laid <mt, witu p^nty of room and wieU ttreeta ; while the suburbs are really beautiful. O c thing that strikes a Southerner is the i great number of fine tree 3 that are to be I seen growing round tho housed, moitly of sorts that are nob indigenous to the country, the Norfolk Island pine particularly being ; very plentiful. The steamer by which we i were to be conveyed the remaining stage of "the journey started from the wharf at 11 a.m., and after a Blow though pleasant run •of 4£ hours, brought us opposite the lauding- place at Waiwera. We were very teon ashore, and ushered at once into the drawing room of the hotel, where our <names were enterad in a book for

the purpose, and wo were takeu off co our i becli'jO'JQ.3 and recognisei as visitors A li^ht lunch was provided for the newcomer s, &nd then we sallied forth toinberview tha loc ility. I sbiyed three weeks ab the Springs, and eleri7ed much banelib from tho bathing. Pc!rhap3 tho following shorb descriptive notes, as giving my experience of the place r.s a sinatoi-ium, miy lo interesting to ths iava'id as well as to tlu general reader. These eprirjgs arj situated on the soubhern ed^e of a small bay about 23 miles from Aucklau'l. They ate r^ac'aed by tt3.\mer, which iuus throe times a week — Tuesday, Tnursday, aad Saturday, returning on tho alternate daya. The) voyage occapiea abuut four hours in ordinary weathsv. From Waiwera the steamer goes farther on to Mahuraugi, Kawau, and tuidry other places iv the vicinity. Tho' water iv the bay being shallow for a loug distance oaf, passengers for W<uwera are taken ashore in th? steamer's bjat?, which pull in as far as pos^ble ; a spruig carfe then comes alongs'de the boat, takes the passengers in (s ; x at a time), and they are speedtly run up agh. and dty, or to the hotel door, the luggage beiDg brcu^ht up sub3erjuently. On arrival the visit >vi are convt-yed to thd sitting-room, tkeir names entered in the visi'ora' book, and their bedrooms selected, to which they gra immsdiately taken by bhe chainberaaids. Everything id comfortable, and provided on a rnosb liberal scale. Tho meil ho n-a a r e : breikfast at 8, dinner at 1, tea at G. The table is providored in mosb sumptuous style, both as to quantity and quality, everything fist-c lass or its kind. The badrooms are light and air}', with a fiae look-out from marly every window. The drawing rom id a spacious apartment, with a fiie tonci piano, which iv the evenings is largely maelo use of by the young ladies, when songs, glees, choruees, &c, are poured forth in rapid succession, or interspsrsed with dancing. For the convenience of literary and professional people, and others, a post and telegraph office is wibhin cooey of the house. Tbe baths are situated about 150 yards from the hotel, along a smooth shull-gravel path, overshaelowed by trees on both sides, & most agreeable promenade. The baths themselves are contained in a scries of buildings, on both sides of a small open square, and are either double or single. The w%ter is admitted from a large iron pipe, with a hanely tap. It is of an average temperature of 110 ° Fah , and i 3 of unlimited quanti'y. Its chemical constituent-! consist of alkaline solfc», the most abundant h-Aog chloride of sjdium. Ifc is not unpleasant to drink, either warm or cold, and has a peculiar sulphury smell, though, analysis does not show any of that mineral in solution. Pa'ienta may stay in the water as long as they like, though 15 o: 20 minutas is generally long enough. The bath induces cop ous perspiration, which patients (rheumatic particularly) are rec:mmendeel to let flow as long as they can. On the beach, close to, there ha<? recently been erected a fine swim-mißg-bith, with 4ft 6in of water continually in it. There are five springs impounded in this enclosure, and when the water in the bath is still the springs can be seen bubbling up to the surface. Ia mast, the water is delightfully clear, of a blue gnen shade, and only a degree or two lower in temperature than the small baths. A plunge and a swim iv this bath afber a long walk on a warm day, is the uaoat delicious thing pLsU ble, removing all traces of the fatigue, and acting as a real "pick-me-up." There is a smaller bith in the other building, bat only 3fb Gin in depth, so it is mostly g'ven over to the ladies. The scenery surrounding the Waiwera is most picturesque. Each end of the bay h bounded by a high wooded hill, containing many varieties of plants and ferns. At the northern end a small river runs into the sea, and a ferry gives access to a Maori pa and a German settlement at Puhoi, on tho olher sich of the hill, on the flit adjoining & river somewhat similar to the Waiwera. A path leads up tho bank of tho latter fctivam, which oppns out to a nice estuary, with water sufficient; to take baats up some three or four miles, amid fine everchanging scenery. Some of the gullies rimiim.; into the estuary are densely o <vtred with vege v at : oa, and contain many plarjti of great interest to tbe botanist. Some ot the rarer ferns, too, are not uncommon in the locality. From the baths ab the souti end of the bay a path has be n cut leading up the hill, which, though rather steep here and there, &ff ;rdb a series of magnificent views of the hotel and its surroundings ; and when the top of the bill is reached a fine p tnorama is opened out, extending from tho island bluff at the north end of the bay to Kiwau and the isles adjacent, away off to the Great aud Little Barriers, Cape Colville, Tiritiri, Rangitoto, Mount B-ien, &j., and the long line of C3asb on the opposite side of the l>ty. From this pom!; the path leads through the bush on the top of the ridge to the new road which is at present in course of construction from Aucklaud to the districts farther north. Visitors may either proceed down the road to the hotel, or, crossing the road, resume the path just lefb, and proceed away through the bush for some miles, with enchanting views at every turn, and eventually work through the bush altogether to the open fern land beyond, from which a return may be made by the road just mentioned— the whole forming a nice forenoon's walk, with plenty of time t J get a bath and wish away all the fatigue, and sib down to dinner with an appetite. The bush in the vicinity contains many fine trees and shrubs, notably the kanaka, with its large yellow berries ; the noble kauri is nob very abundant in the near vicinity, but there are plenty of fine specimens in the bush to the south, on the slopes of the hills overlooking the fern land. Tne characteristics of the kauri are well worth Btudyiug, and the tree itself makes a fine picture. Another tree — the pohutukawj, — is well worth study, if it were only for the immense growth of parasites and epiphytes which it carries : that it is able to support the great weight of the huge branches of astellia alone is a proof of tbe prodigious strength of the timber. Some of tho smaller trees hava beautiful foliage, and would look well if transplanted to the open. Oue characteristic of the bash, here is worth noting — there are very few '"lawyers," and progress in any direction is made with comparative ease and freedom. Ferns, as » matter of course, abound everywhere ; the bigger sorts growing strong, and holding

their own a^diasC everything. Taoae varie ties which baar filmy leaves, hoy/ever, requiie to be gathered iv th) spring, as the summer suu shrivels up everything the least exposed <o ib 3 powerful 4)eams, so much so that it is hardly po3siblo to makj oub the species The b?ach in fronb of the hotel also affords a plcssanb promenade. When thß tide i-; low, th-re is a l"ug s'retch of fine, hud sand, ■with plenty of shells. lideci. about 109 f-p c'fes of mollusca may be collected from tne boaches about the Wahvera. Some of these are both rare and beautiful. Sei pUnts are a^so well represented, aad after a blo# from the scubh or easb many fiae speciniibs may bj gathered. Cruitaceaus sve cotniaon, some of fcho smaller specie? being of gieat beauty. To thof.e vh > are fond of oytt'irs, the rjoks ab low water afford a never failing feast. Provided with a sfcroDg knife or a chis-l, the favourite esculent may bo knocked off the rucks or opened as is lies in any quanti'j'-, a little dexterity being all that is re quisite. The routine of line at the Waiwera of coursj varies with the individual liking, but he; day is spent very much in the same way by everyone. The firsb thing in the morniug is bathing, which. bjgiußb j giuß about 6. and goes on With little intermission till the fir.ifc bell rings for b -eakfast, in p'enty of time to allow of \isUois gettiog ready by 8, when tho second bell rirjgs, and the ac'.ual business of the day begins. About 9 o'clock visitors generally are on the gui vive for tomethin^ t> spencl the forenoon upon. Some gi to billiards, oth-rs get up a gams of ctoquet or teunis on the lawn. Some of the young men, with toe assistance of a Mjori or two, get in the implements and adjourn to a field ab the rear of the hotel, where, although the ground is rather lumpy, they play a gool single-wickeb game of cricket;. A boating party is preferred by others, the tide favouring ; while others again sbarb off for the bush, and spend the forenoon in fein-hunting. For those wao ara too hxy or t:o infirm to partake of oubdoor amusements, there are numerous games proviled — chess, draughts, cards, &c, &o. Tne beH rings again at 12 30, and immediately the stragglers miy be seeu rolling up from all points to get ready for dinner. This over, the afternoon is spent in much the Bame way as tbe forenooa wa3, though a greater proportion of the visito-s sfciy about the home. A good deal of bathing h done ia the afternoon, a constant stream of people passing to a,d fro. After tea nearly everybody adjourns to the drawing-room, where mus'c ia discoursed mos 1 ; pleasantly Iby one or other of the young lidies. The society is ruoßt pleas a or, there being nothing of that ab.-urd exciusiveness which some people affect to put on at places of public resoi t, so that everylhicg goes on smoothly anl sweetly. I havd thus in a feeble way attempted to describj the Hut Spriog3 of Waiwera aud their viciuity, as well as the general run of the plio and tbe people resident there ; and have only toadl that for those troubled with rheumatic affecb on, or suffering from over wo k, there is no place in the Colony so well adapted for their complete recovery. In corrobor-tion of th's statement, I give my own experience. I had completely broken dowD, and my legs were bo stiff and &ore ihab ib was ivth the grfatesb difficulty 1 cou'd get up tbe short iiighfc of steps in fronfc of the hotel. With tho help of my stick and the hanJ-rail I was abia to get up a etep at a time. Before I had used the biths a week I could mount ill > steps without a hold of anythiug, and cime down with ease, though a little s^iflly. This, I am glad to Bay, remained ; I was able to walk comfortable to and fio all round the Waiwera, as well a j to tike several long walks through the bush in various direc'ions. without any more than the usual fiti^ue, tauly was^el a*ay by a plunge aad a paddle about in the swimnvng bath on the beach. I let the Waiweri after a residence of three weiki, very much bettered indeed, aud proceedtd back to Auckland, where a s l ay of about 10 days was made, varied by visits t> the Thames, ILinuera, Takapuca, and the district round Auckland, including onehun 6 a, Man;rarei, Ooahuhu, &•. The top of Mouit Eden was also visited, the Domain explored, the Mjiseutn — ar;d, in shor*-, everything was seen that was worth looking at. The route home was varied by going down the west side of the island from Manukau, visitiog Taranaki, Nelson, aud Picton, the beiutiful tcenery of the Sounds being en jojed to the upmost. Three days had to be Bpent in Wellington rather unwillingly, the rte nt loss of the Taupo having disarranged the service. But the weathe-r waß fine, and with a congenial friend or two a couplj of diyswere pleasantly speut in botanismg over the Kvori an I Kaiwarrdwarra disbricts. The expected steamer at length came iuto port, acd after two very rough days' sailing, including a four hours' sfuy in Lyttelbor, Pork Chalmers was a welcome sight, for the writer was thorough'y tir-d out, and glad to be ab home again. Pakeua. March, 1579.