THE WONDERS OF THE NORTH

Otago Witness, Issue 2809, 15 January 1908, Page 15

THE WONDERS OF THE NORTH

MR BARCLAY'S IMPRESSIONS. (From Otje Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, January 9. Amongst the holiday visitors to Auckland j was Mr A. R. Barclay, M.P. (Dunedin j North), who carried away with him on his return south yesterday some entirely new ideas respecting this city of the north. He had a few delusions dispelled, and altogether spent a happy holiday and an interesting time. Speaking to a Herald representative, Mr Barclay said, "My impressions are many and varied — very many and much varied. I am ashamed to say I had never before visited Auckland. I* said to myself what j is this wondeful place like— this place I | hear so .much about?" And he waved his arm figuratively as though to illustrate an j "Auckland discussion" in the House. "I used to listen to Mr E. W. Alison, M.P., Mr Herries, M.P., and our very good friend the Opposition leader, and I really began to think, with all due respect to the gentlemen mentioned, that Auckland must either be one of the marvels of the world, or else my friends were talking to the galleries. Of course, you know it. is always -the ' Opposition which talk to the galleries. Well, I came, I saw, and I conquered the Main Trunk route. Before I speak of Auckland let me tell you what staggers a southerner about the Main Trunk— the overland route. The journey occupied three days and two nights, and that period was one of the most interesting times I . ever 6pent. I believe the journey x>uld be shortened by at least a day if the Railway. Department took over the line from Waimarino from the Public Works Department. It was a marvellous journey. Firstly, I was struck by the magnitude of the undertalcing. One has to see in order to realise the great engineering difficulties tackled and solved, and one gazes in profound astonishment at the ' marvellous viaducts, one of which has a curve in it. The poor, little viaducts off our Otago Central pale to insignifioence to the rank of mere back blocks culverts besides those stupendous undertakings on the Main Trunk. The marvel of- the whole trip Is the portion between 4)hakune and Waimarino. Words fail me to describe the marvellous beauty and wonder of the scenery. Valleys I have seen, bush ■'■;!* have seen, streams I have seen, but never valleys of such great depth, of such noble spread, never forests of such magnificence, and never such wonderful growth and profusion of ferns. Why, the leaves of the cabbage , trees were two or_ three times broader and ] longer than what we are accustomed to j see in the south. The road runs round the mountains and comes down into the valleys, and stream after stream of the greatest beauty crosses the path. The bush is indeed ; noble forest, and the people have reason to feel thankful that the Government has .reserved enormous tracts of this bush on both «iocs of the line. The spiral, already famous, will certainly be one of the great sights of the Dominion. The grade is a I very heavy one, but the colossal task has j been most skilfully carried out. Then the ] mountains. They form one of the noblest panoramas of scenery in New Zealand. The impression conveyed to one's mind instantly j by those symmetrical 'cathedrals of Nature' J is one of enormous freight, -sach-an impres- -j sion as is conveyed by the monarch of j 'Wanaka, Mount Aspiring, as viewed from t tfre Cardrona-Pembroke, road. Buapehu in its stately majesty, its colossal pile seeming j to challenge all other mountains to con- ' elusive combat, is a sight one could feast his eyes upon at sunrise and sunset and never grow tired. I was tempted to aficend to the summit and find a cave to .dwell in evermore, but the thought that I hadn't yet seen mysterious Auckland backed me up to turn my back on the temptation. "Ajid 3iow I come to Auckland, the » marvellous, wonderful, mysterious, Anck-'j land." Then Mr Barclay repeated the old question that has made Auckland smile. '* Years ago," he said, " I asked myself, ' Whence comes the enormous trade that must "be transacted to keeD so great a city .going?' I find Auckland the largest city in the Dominion, but I oan't for the life of me see what makes it so, and what is 'bringing In and out of the harbour such a great volume of shipping. Of course it was easy to know there was a large timber trade, and there was a considerable gold export, though it is a question how far j the gold export would make for the progress of the city Still, timber and gold, with kauri gum thrown in to -balance, ■ would not account for it. Now, I am ! beginning to discover, in conversation \ with people I meet, something of the real j reason for the multitude ef industries kept going here. It is quite evident southern people have a lot to learn about Auck- , land. But I shouldn't forget to remark that the south has given you a share of j your population, and it might be, only j might be, that their natural vigour is i giving much of the go to affairs here. j ' " Op, yes, I have had some delusions dispelled. I have heard of the heat of Auckland. I expected to be quite prostrated b^it, but I have found the climate J delightfuL { "Often," Mr Barclay went on to say, ' "comparisons have been drawn between the beauty of Dunedin and the beauty of Auckland. But "the two places are very ) different. Auckland is beautiful in ' patches. Here and there, all about, you come upon exceedingly beautiful patches, but the city does not form one harmonious unity of beauty as Dunedin does, although I am told that from an eminence Auckland presents a remarkably beautiful appearance. 1 -am a little bit afraid that your city depends more upon its natural , surroundings for its beauty a and that the f people have not endeavoured--!© make the , town itself as beautiful afi they might ; have done. The beauty of the harbour has undoubtedly not been exaggerated, and I can fully appreciate the poetic fancy which termed the gulf the glory, of Auckland. The same attention has not been given to preserving and increasing the natural beauty of Auckland as has been done in Dunedin. The people there have been more alive in this respect, and there is nothing in Auckland, to be . reckoned in the same street with Dunedin ia Botanical Gardens. One thing, how-

ever, I greatly admire, and that_ is the generosity and public spirit which has prompted so many gifts and bequests to the city — such as the noble Cornwall Park, the Art Gallery, the Public Library, and so on. These things place Auckland in a. unique position. I notice that, generally speaking^ there is not bhe display of flowers and plants I exoected. In such • a beautiful climate every home should have a beautiful garden. "I should say Auckland was preeminently a city of pleasure. Its people, old and young — man, woman, -and child, — seem to take the keenest interest in sport of everjr kind, and Ellerslie Racecourse was a sight to open a. southerner's eyes. Where else in New Zealand would you se<» such an enormous crowd at the races? Everybody seemed, as a matter of course, to consider himself or herself bound to attempt to pick the winner and back the fancy from the modest 2s 6d bet upwards, and I heard of some very large wagers indeed. Still another delusion dispelled was regarding the fruit. " I had the idea I would live -on "grapes and strawberries and bananas. Judge of my horror when I discovered that the most ordinary specimens of grapes were 2S od , per lb and strawberries Is 3d for a small box during Christmas time, while bananas were actually dearer than in Dunedin. Why, there were better and cheaper grapes in Dunedin long before s they were ripe here. I must say, in conclusion, that Auckland people are most hospitable. • Although I was a perfect stranger, the ."kindness and hospitality I have met. with on every sidg» have been most gratifying, and "I have thoroughly enjoyed myself."