WELLINGTON AS A MOTORING CENTRE

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 3, Issue 4, 1 October 1924, Page iv (Supplement)

WELLINGTON AS A MOTORING CENTRE

ELLINGTON as a motoring centre has one chief characteristic, and that is hills. East of it the main backbone of the North Island runs into the sea, and radiating westward from the main range, like the fingers of a hand, are a number of ridges also running without a break to the rugged shores of Cook Strait. In among these ridges lies the broad expanse of Wellington Harbour, or Port Nicholson, as it was christened in honour of Sydney’s harbourmaster by a stray skipper in the dim pre-settlement days of a century ago while still more anciently it was the Whanganui-a-Tara, or the Great Bay of Tara, in memory of an early Maori navigator. About twelve miles to the north-west lies another inlet, among the ridges, the shallow but picturesque Porirua Harbour, a one-time haunt of whalers and Maoris and the scene of many stirring incidents. To the motorist, Wellington’s hills mean winding and often narrow roads with steep pinches, once the main highways are left. As compensation for this up-and-down work there are many fine views to be obtained from the summits en route, and the scenery among the valleys alternates between a quiet and placid charm and a wild and rugged beauty. For the adventurous who are willing to add a detour on foot to their jaunts, it is possible to spend the day or the weekend among primeval solitudes of moun-

tain, forest, and river, untouched by the hand of man. For the visitor seeking acquaintance with the city and its environs the first run should be that along the waterfront to Island Bay via the Queen’s Drive, and thence on to Ohiro Bay and back to the city via Brooklyn, a round of about 18 miles. This provides many views en route of the harbour and then of the open sea in Cook Strait, with, on a fine day, the snowy 10,000 foot summit of Tapuaenuku soaring into the blue over seventy miles away. There are good bathing beaches by the way. On the return by Happy Yalley a fine prospect over the city and harbour is gained from the heights at Brooklyn. The Day’s Bay run is another popular drive that will become still more popular when the road from Petone to Day’s Bay is less full of pot-holes. At the harbourside bays excellent bathing may be had, and the visitor will also find public tennis courts at both Day’s Bay and Eastbourne. Run No. 3 takes in the full length of the level twenty miles of the fertile Hutt Yalley, and then soars over the hills on a by-road for a long run up the secluded Mangaroa Yalley. Those who do not like hills can cut out the Mangaroa Valley part, and have a level 40-mile run to Upper Hutt and back. On a good day the two views from the ridges on the Mangaroa part of the run are things to be remembered.

, Wellington’s biggest round is the Akatarawa-Waikanae trip. The scenery is varied and of interest throughout, but from the driver’s point of view the three big hills and the tortuous nature of much of the road make it rather a wearing day. As a week-end trip, with a stop-over at either Waikanae, where there is a farfamed trout stream to tempt anglers, or at Paraparaumu’s seaside resort with excellent bathing, or at Paekakariki, more popular still as a seaside resort —with a halt overnight at one or other of these points, this run makes as fine a summer outing as one could wish. The three remaining trips described have each features of interest, but by the visitor may be left over until the routes already described have first been covered, though anglers will find in the trout fishing a special reason for a run to the Wainui-o-mata, a stream, however, which with advent of the motor car is now often overcrowded with anglers at the week-end. Much might be written of Maori legend and historic incident associated with countryside around Wellington, and perchance in some future issue it may be permitted to us to stop by the wayside and gossip of “old, unhappy, far-off things and battles long ago,” and so bring some touch of the glamour of yesterday into one’s enjoyment of to-day and its sunshine as the engine purrs along highway and by-way.