Around Now Zealand.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12452, 5 January 1904, Page 2

Around Now Zealand.

ATTOKLAND. (By S. ,W. McNoalo, o%vfn oorrof-ityonclent of Trish Timos.^ Afucklanji is no mnshrooim city. T-Ter harbour i^ otoj.^ of ihci fVno^t in tiho worKI, anjrl jjorhit^n.s the most bfaJutiful. Jt may bo suifi)as«oicl by the 'magnifitent nalvons of Sydney, l^io Jatneiro, anid elven Cork, but I 'd'oluijt it very m'uoh. The voyagor can lalnH liere in fou,r flays from Syjdney. I'he city itself is fine antl thofugh in many respects inferior to DunoHin. but in the liysujriance, elegjaacies. atn,fl anionities of life, it yieli3s to no dolotnial town. MucSklauia has been "craefced tip" by a giusfting anH falntoiis litteratdur wj^o viisitecl tihe colony so|mp yoarw ago. Mo-st wrileirs ji'n (lesirinbing anything N<tffr ZralaWl are rather fo^ of using afljekitives iji iho fnijbcrlativo degree, whic^i oft^n causes Uisanplo'hit.tnpnt anjd do?s lan iimmens-o fl^al of hai'iml— till llhi.-: v>nliohtonoil gnncraticn hnwbftrome ratiher s-ceptical. tt is a ivpll-buil't, fi'no-look-ing, hut. it is nPo'cUesis t.o adH, rather Warm city, of about iffl.OOfl inhabitants, anlcl it is likoly to boco'inp a place of considerable importance "Wlion it is the starting jwint for the gi'a'iVd trunk railway, and a rail system into tie interior. It is to be hiopqcl fthat tihe traffic will pay for Ifac grease Usoicl on it, nm.fl tSat it will 'not be a biuifleti on tlho Colonial Treasury. IR^erytojie who Was visileicl A^pitlanO hiftP 'boo* loKa-rtTieia with the""bonih'omie" of tlic people. The harbour is inexpressibly loKPly. affording views of inniilmerable baytf. inlets, and piie'tairosq^ie islols, 'dotteij wit!h_ gartlenfi -aticl Villas half-doncealeH amiH ihifcikets of scrub aniß bnsfi. YaOMs Hart badkwarHs anH forwards^ steamers are •

ca-ossing apd recrossing tie harbour io Devor^p.oxt (INiorth Shore^, s!hi]p|s anH tlhe m'ag'nitftcejit steamers of the Uinioji S.S. Qomlpany aJnicl other lifters ate continjually sailing amS steaming in an.H chit, w.hile unjler the elava^ and rocky shores Jies stretcihes of .white sandy beach, such as some of your reaHers wo,uld love to paint. Tihe excHirsions on the pa&aci'oUs ji'atbotui' i or among tfhe garidens and farms in J the awlbu|r!bs are very pleasant, while ! a trip to the TKaones, or a |>icnic oti Mount Eden are among, the pleasant•sib juniketiags. The streets are rather intricate, an|d seem to converge into Queen-street, wTiich is the main ar'teryj Tne city is "btuilt o^i hilly or unUfulating gx,otuln9l ; accordingly the streets are riot Very level, hut they are slufficiently srteejp to feel very ujrcojnfortable oil a hot ilay. BjUt AucklanH nevertßeless, i& a miag'nificeAt city, witlh fine iiublie buildings, eCpB. good srtreets. Few of the streets^— etyea iJhe fine Queen-&ita-Re't>— 'are finis|he r d, nor hias the city architect yei been powerftol eno>u'g£ to get all the h,o[uses in one street of the same style of architecture, or elven of the same pret«ttt'tio*». Hence, thotug-h in mo,st of streets there are fine buiJjclings, none of thetan ai*e jniagnificent There are c'rk>w£ls of g-aily-'clressexl people walking along the streets of the city, but fine eqtirpages, au'd liveriejcl, cocikayeH servants are not .very coantaon in tihis Semiocr'atic colnim'ulnity. Autiklano is a tyipdcal New Zealanfl towii, wiifc plenty of Maoris wandering atolit to ad"d a picturesiq'ueaiese to the sfceinej Like m,ost New Zeaiatid tqwtns, lAXiJaklanlcl is b.uilt on a liberal scale, with botajnic gaiiclen a«SJ reserves, wlhich;. when the city eixtetiHs, will beqofme fine oases in the Very heart of fhe wilderness .of streets. The s|ublifrbs are clotted with Wrcji beaiitiful \-illas as it is iljffic'ult to Rnid elFew'hore than in sub- tropical Zealan'dia, f^urr.ofiinjclefl by lovely garflejis, and eoinmandiiiiig pi'e.ttireyqUß views of m'ou,n,tain, sea, harbou l^ gaiiclflin, farm, atnjcl i+jisSh. in avery shade of pleasing tint a*nfi sjhar.p olutline unjler the clear sfky of (New Zealaii^v Its quays and wiharVes are wqll b.uilt, aai H, allow ves-sels of large tonnage 'to lie in the Very heart of -the town. "Tin a wioitl, AHifciklaajH is a beautiful city, sjwee'test in clim.ate, the loneliest ' in deanery arid the richest ih ih'afbio'ure.'