THE NORTHERN WONDERLAND.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9639, 14 January 1903, Page 3

THE NORTHERN WONDERLAND.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S TRIP. Sir Joseph Ward, Minister for Railways and head ol tlio Department ot l'nolic Health and Tourists Kesorts, lms relumed to W'eJlington irom liis holiday jaunt through tlie northern wonderiujui ■ tanned and sunburned, but invigorated, almost rejuvenated, and thoroughly satislied with his trip, m which he was accompanied by Lady Ward. Tne tourist tniihc, says Sir Joseph, has received a great impetus this summer — greater than he has known before— and nas included a very large number of oversea visitors. The policy of the Tourist .Department, of which lie is U\o .head, has been to increase tlie facilities for travellers who wish to see the remarkable country between Pipiriki and Kotoruu, and taking the latter place as a centre some admirable trips have been planned, and are largely availed of at Hie present lime. There is, for instance, a particular- ; ly interesting one-day trip, starting from itotoruo, to the great Waimangu Ueyser, by way of Lake Kotomahana and Tarawera, and passing through the sunken village _of Wairoa, It is, m Sir Joseph's opinion, one of the most attractive trips m the whole colony. Almost daily tne lake boats ferry across as many people as they can take, and the excursion has all the attractiveness that m former days was supplied by the now extinct pink and white terraces. The Rotomahona Lake is a wonder m itself. The locality is practically alive with thermal action. All round steam jets puff into the. air, and miniature geysers play, some skywards, and others .horizontally, while at one point the boat takes a course through boihng waters, and the peculiar thudding of the boat is an experience as weird and uncanny as it is wonderful to tlie sightseer. Sir Joseph and his party spent five hours at Waimangu. The eruptions are spasmodic. Tlie party were fortunate enough to see the great geyser explode two gigantic columns into * tlie air at short intervals at bhe close of their live hours' wait, the height of the columns being probably five or six hundred feet. If there is any country that can beat our geyser for grandeur, • says Sir Joseph, let it put m it* claim. The ground m the locality has been cleared of volcanic refuse, and the Department is about to begin ' the construction of a cover house ' far the use of tourists who wish to stay m the locality and see the sights. Sir Joseph found a remarkable improvement m the town of Rotoruo, itself which, at. the time of his visit hist w»ek was alive with visitors from this and other parts. There are twenty-eight boarding-houses and four hotels "m the township, and yet the accommodation wits not nearly enough to supply wants. ! l robably a thousand visitors were m the township the night he spent there: the hotels, etc., were packed ; and many per- ' «»ns camped m tents outside. The p«rfeot wither which prevailed at. the- ! time enabled this to be done m comfort ! and safety. The train service between I Auckland and Rotorua has been much improved m recent times, and travelling I is easy and comfortable. Them „.re j great schemes for the early improvementof the Government Sanatorium at Rotoiua, particularly m the way of new baths as recently outlined, and the Deplrtment is determined to make the place t .™owplace of the island, believing that it** one of the finest assets the Colony post