GLORY OF VIRGINIA LAKE IN AUTUMN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 71, 26 March 1940, Page 4

GLORY OF VIRGINIA LAKE IN AUTUMN

BRIGHT TRANQUILITY HUNDREDS OF VISITORS DURING HOLIDAYS If Virginia Lake and its surroundings are beautiful both in spring .and in summer, they are doubly so in autumn. It is true that the brightness of asters is fading, and some of the dahlias are losing the freshness of first bloom, but the petunias, the begonias, the bonfire salvia, cornflour blue, and many other bright flowers add to the charm of this reserve, which seems to improve every week. Hundreds ot people visited the lake during the Easter holidays, many' of them visitors. It is already rivalling the well-known Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, which has long held pride of place among the reserves along this coast. A pleasing approach to Virginia Lake is by way of Virginia Road. Cars can travel via Halswell Street and sweep back from the brow of the hill, leave their passengers at the northern entrance to the reserve, turn, and come down Brassey Road to the Great North Road, while the passengers idle through the reserve. One vantage point should not be missed, that at the top end of the lake, on the highest rise, from where a view of the waters can be seen, almost out to the road. There is an old-fashioned cannon there, a grim reminder of the type of war humans fought in the days when the lake was surrounded by raupo reeds and lacked the glory of flowers and pleasing shrubs. From where this old instrument of defence is mounted, one can look over the lake waters and imagine how effectively gallant a defence could be made against an armada of canoes. Grey and paradise ducks were on the lake yesterday, close in shore, as they always are, on the look-out for food dropped from kindly humans, who seem to regard their offerings of crumbs as something to appease the tiny voice of conscience asking. “How is it that I haven’t known about the beauty of this place before?” Yesterday afternoon some of the ducks were well out in mid-lake positions, apparently having fared well earlier in the day from the “peace offering’s.” Two rustic bridges in an arm of the lake look something like the bridge on the widow pattern plate. An occasional tui, with satin swish of wings, flying overhead, could be made a realistic substitute for the turtle doves on the plate. A rose bower skirts the top end of the bridged arm of the lake, and there are hydrangeas where the lake proper has been held in check from disturbing the comparative peace of waters that reflect the deep red of petunia's fringing the water's edge. Paths twist down from the rose bower, along the lakeside, or on higher levels. Blue pukekos stalk majestically among what are left of the raupo reeds and, in season, their coats seem to match the blue of irises blooming in profusion where the reeds used to be. Rockeries have been planted along the trail to the main entrance, and the bright colours of tropical plants terminate the journey. At night time, when the Easter moon is up, it is reflected fully in the sweep of water, and an occasional “morepork” calls to remind people that even when the sun has gone down there is life about the lakeside.