NAPIER TO THE HOT SPRINGS, OVERLAND.

Woodville Examiner, Volume V, Issue 45, 3 April 1889, Page 2

NAPIER TO THE HOT SPRINGS, OVERLAND.

—; — 4" (By Tourist.) The overland route from Napier to .the. Hot Spring District is, from its greater convenience, steadily becoming more patronised by visitors from the'South Island bound for the Hot Lakes District. The road is good, the scenery of the grandest and wildest character, ahd the accommodation along the route is generally of a. comfortable character. The means of travel is by Messrs Crowtbcr and McCauley’s coaches. A coach leaves the Criterion Hotel, Napier, every Monday morning at 7 a.m., and-reaches Tarawera, the terminus of the first day’s journey about 5 p.m. The route from Napier lies- through Port: Ahuriri and across the ■ Spit : to the Petane Valley. At the extremity of the Spit the Nortu British an I Hawke’s Bay Freezing Company have emote 1 their oxtendve vyprksp This Company was originally, the result of ihe action of Messrs Nelson; Reps, and others in inducing the Colonial Shipping Union to start running steamers between England and New Zealand', with a view to lowering the rates previously charged for the shipmelic lof frozen meat." 'The Shaw-Saville Company were!determined to endeavour to. retain- the Hawke's Bay frozen meat shipments as far as possible, and hence the promotion of the new works,, in which several settlers ‘ are also interested. The fanners and! squatters of Hawke’s Bay will reap the’ 'benefit', and ,t le export meat trade ■ from Napier has ■ieen,and will beconsiderably increased t as a result. • i

The distance frora-Napier| to Petane is five miles, and about half-\yay along the Spit may be seen on the beach the wreck Of the ill-fated ship Northumberland, which preceded a succession of shipping casualties on the East;Coast about two years ago. The wreckage brings to mind also the melancholy loss of; the Iloojum with so many valuable lives lost in attempting to bring help to the'Northumberland.

At Petane is the sire of the once celet brated. hostelry, which the, late .host, William Tillers, made; one oi| the favorite hotels ;in the colony with its lawns and ■menagerie, and Athenaeum! and racecourse and social surroundings; ; To those who knew it ih the'days of popular 1 Host William,”; the place seems a blank, never again to be tilled. Over-a hill, ,with the grades on either side somewhat.steep, the beautiful Petane Valley breaks into view. Elegant aiid prosperous homesteads present themselves along the road at intervals for a tew miles, the.crops and grass look rich, and the work of the husbandman seems to receive its best reward,from; the soil of this fertile valley, j Snake-like,< the Petane Eiver winds its tortuous.ppurse; through the littje plain. The road lies along the river bed for &is| miles, and. crosses the : stream twenty 4four : 'tiiiies;* pretty reaches Here and fopre opening to view with the lofty tshubb'ery-oovered sides rising 'overhead. The Petane Rivet; is at length joined by i the Kaiwhaka stream, and the road branched off up the Kaiwhaka Valley for some jhrebmiles, crossing ;foe: stream) ppme; tjv&i’tydforfce times, the banks .rfemg into'hills on either side, and; forming'a deep narrow (Jorge, ... ' Tobe cbntiuued). 1 ;