Where Holiday Abandon is Supreme.

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3842, 4 December 1936, Page 5

Where Holiday Abandon is Supreme.

FROM TE AWAMUTU the distance is 43 miles, comfortable travelling time being two hours. The road for the first twenty miles traverses the Waipa valley and the Pirongia foothills. At the Ngutunui stream the climb over the Pirongia range is begun, and from that point the journey is most interesting. The highway twists and winds over the hills, bushclad in many places. Near the top of the divide a pause is well worth while to scan the panorama below. The valley of the Waikato stretches for miles toward the horizon and, in a southerly direction, lies the more undulating King Country. It is a marvellous panorama of the rich and fertile countryside. A few miles further on another panorama presents itself and it is well again to pause. Immediately in the foreground is the rugged West Coast, fringed for miles along the coast with breakers. In the distance is Gannet Island, a deep-sea fisherman’s paradise. The road winds down the valleys until Oparau, on the upper reaches of the Kawhia harbour, is reached, and for the remaining 8 miles the highway skirts the harbour. The Automobile Association has finger-posted the route and the motorist cannot very well mistake the detour points. There is a daily passenger service throughout the year, and a twicedaily timetable during the holiday season.

SURFING —The ocean beach is distant from the camp site about 3 miles. Launches run as required or picnickers may trek across the sandhills. BOATING A limited number of boats are available for hire. LAUNCHING Launch excursions are promoted throughout the holiday season, or launches may be. hired by arrangement. The most popular resorts are Awaroa, on the uppei' reaches of the harbour, Kinohaku, directly across the harbour, i Mahoe. and Te Maika, near the harbour entrance. FlSHlNG—Launches run many fishing excursions or may be hired by arrangement. HOT MINERAL SPRlNGS—Location, about 4 miles from the camp site. Launches run at intervals or may be hired —(launch runs only to the heads, from which point a walk along the ocean beach is necessary), or a land-route over the sand-hills offers. PICNICKING—The harbour is fringed with pohutukawa trees. Every bay is a picnic bay. WATERFALLS—About an hour’s run in the car, there is a track through the bush—A worth-while day in any’ holiday’ calendar. TENNIS—Courts regularly open. Visiting players by arrangement. HlSTORlC—Adjacent to the camp site is the burial place of the Tainui canoe, the frail craft which brought the Maoris to this part of New Zealand. There is a wealth of legend in and around Kawhia.