THE WAITOMO CAVES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VI, Issue 23, 7 June 1890, Page 7

THE WAITOMO CAVES.

A SUBTERRANEAN FAIRY LAN Ik

EW ZEALAND puaMfeet many natural woodc-t*. bar it i* 'jaestiNßafide whether Any -d them -an compare in point of sublime gran* tear az_c ahs* dure Lavvetfness- with the reeeuzlv - dis•>.»vered Waii*XHo Caves. They are *x great riae. amd apart from their beauty. are remarkable and varied in their / " chara*t eri*tfex These caves- were -several years *gc\. Is L* srce that the natives were aet-rustomed to h*h for eel* in the as the entrance. hoi they -lrea»iei the [ark cavern * .ev'j-n-i. which their sapersririous imagfmuh m illcd wish ranrwhas and other legendary terror*. Then master-of-nwt European ventured within the cavern, and -•*?€. tinning hi* explonti*>cL* from. chamber so chamber, delighted ;.hn»i witc. the natural splen*t'oar -d the interior. The ♦ r-.'vemmens L--st no time in making k"u-..wr? the astrtkrtiocs cd the caves. and by their -tesire a series cd capital ph •togr-ipme views u-ere saken by Mr J. R. Hanna and laid' hefiore Parifament. A •aretaker was also app* dated in she pernor »<f Mr Fraser. and ■ recauwxnjs taken to prevent any injury to the beautiful :• •rmatfoas as the hands cd tourists and •-there. The :avesare *cill comparatively unknown. and arc to the present -?r :e the nrrm ret -jf visitor* :ias ralleu sh> -rt «?“ xxue- seven ■ -r eight weeks &g« - Hl* Excellency the * tovernor an< ; Lahr • »bsL>w_ Sir Frederick and the Misses Wm-ak-’-the H-.-m E. Mirehel*om Mr J. H. I'pce-n May.. r <d Auckland . an.? •■■zhers made a special trip- to the s®rere greatly charmed and impressed by the marvel.--us skill and grandeur cd nature’s handiwork- * is the nearest settiei .ent cd any size*. and it is dv or seven hour* distant fr-m by raiL Aeeoms»>ias®M& i* available as a new an«t very comfe-ruabte Little hotel, and there- is n*> -liimmlty in pr*x-sring horses- for she real stage cd the journey. Thi* i* an easy ride cd Less than two hours over a read which is now :<rn_ei by tee « At present she- trains are n».-t --r » * • r t.?in such a way a* to *mt the pnbvb- ■ > h.-rt Mr Fraser has to some extent ovefo-cne this dimenltv hv *n ■ TdTT.r-.rht mst>e*iti"ns D?-r these who are t-tessed fer ;tnd reenire to ■•aseh next m-j-rning * trahn The caves are sitnatei in br«-vken coantry. and the -stream whieh leais to them meander* sran<TnzlL'y thr -ngh a kwely valley lying between two high hills. Smi'ienlv- h mm* to the left, and then S>ws into a large cavern in rhe dde f the hill. This is the entrance, and a r»?m t -.vitie <>ne is is. A ‘Capital view of it is given in sketch N- -2. Ir will be that the cavern i* fringei with beansinxl dossers of fem fl.nd- fotFiiagy- while beyond these may be seen immense stalafTEies dependrng fr»?m the root- and in the dim light re--embling -grin? sentinel* keeping waten over :;ne artistictre;k*nres of the interior. In the f•j-regronn’ i>> the small < : anoe by which vf*it».-r* are ferried a ‘EissaEee -,.f twenty or thirty ywls to the Landing place inshte. firocn w zenee the t» >nr <-f the cave*, is matte o® foocIt i* imp*zesfble in the compass '>t a r »rief article sn-rh as this to give r.tnyzhfng Like an a«-te»;nate idea of the glories cd the interi’-jr. The wonders of one eham ter are surpassed by the spier, of the next, and so the tonrist binders on. «.bbvT<--M~rs-fdeveryth rn.g bns the marveLlon* ereatiocEs cd nature w h Feb snrrennd himThe Grand Cavern is an immense'-rhamter. whose T>ftv .--of 1 mg and innumerable pillars are remarkably -uzgestive « f the ~nterror cd a Gothie cathedral. Beyond Lt rhe«,b>ww*>m3 Cave, a lovely Little spot with vaulre-i roof smdderi 'vfrhthe eoantfes Lights of myriads of gLo Beneath. the river -tows silently, and the rede»rti<-n or the *r-ardeling vault above cn shesoraee cd the water i* very pretty. The wall;* and ■•idling of the lower chambers are ■:< a light bre-wm ’-•nt th* 3 - cham berx on the h igher level*, which are- reached bv LyHere, are of the pnresc white, the enerustaci’>.rs in some eases resembling *n*.-w. in *xhers crystal- and in others most beautiful alabaster. Stalactites depen»i from the roof in immense nurThev assume every conceivable fo-rm. some "i>semblig pen*.‘il*. in their reased and slender fc>rm*. while -.'-chers might e " ■ beaker, for sueh vegetables as earrec* and Turnips. sketch No. 1 give* a capital view --f a group cd these *tala»’tites depen?iing from the r*»t : and. fair readier, if yo-c Look b-eneath. you will -ee several excelLent specimens of stalagmites. These are fo-njie*! by the concreri’rn cd the Lime in the drops of water which drip- from the -talacrites above. In this instazKC- the appHcati' -n o? «f the old Aviom is- reverseh Conszant Trippir g Tees n*x wear away the *rc-ne. but on. the eocitrarv form-s the stalagmite- which gra.tually grow* upward ann eventually meets the *zaLa*:tite the two then a pi? Tar from re*d to tioorThe Fairy Grotto i* a lovely pla.:e. ami here the en«:ru*tati*>cs are for all the world Like the wool »>n a sheets An»n vhave the • *rgan Gallery, in which i* a fair iznitasi»ju *d az « -rgan_ a portion; cd which is composed car a beautiful whit* swbstaiwe as pure as Parian marbde. • Mher ram* show varying but decidedly pretty tints. Then there is th* Native Lan«i* Court. a»i further on rw. • miniature imita ti«»ns of the f--rmer Rotorua terraces. ->ne in white and th* • -ther in ch«-:<eolate concur. Mace s C a.vem i- the meet ' ea..itirt2 xr_ I r>.m<ntie -p»< •> the wh-'ie The -n’cetaa-'e the interier i - ’tnty iteeLt. the Aiettme t , •--' '.ec_ne *n»i bwustifttL Sketch N-x 3 * capital vie. .< vhai i- eallei The Blanket. •ei the left will be teerre, a fertnattea n«>t unlike a biaakec in appearance. I- eel. n. it isereaniy white, and the illn*S>n i- o>mple«e if > i hei.i ..n the other side ef the «taia.-tite. There. <e ean -ee in the lower part of the **ecalled blanket, -everal £reet 'tr-.pee jimilar in width and tin: t>> tbo-e which <ce wonk espeet to end in a blanket.

TS» eaves* extend :« * •-t * «(«aiter •< * nsiie. a»i are ■erTam'y besasafni aori remarkable narirai wonder-. Fresh ehanbera are ■sxsstaatly betag dieewvervsi. a&i tae being linirT i: ail the way nntne l«* M it > expeetni that mo«e beaatirxl <*»«. even than will vet be -iise»>vered. One K’the new ehamber- ncently ’•«=.< s» remarfcar-4e t-w the ta.“: :?jkS :ce e=.erx«:a:i--i- ■'■ely r»'erj.hie r<ale r ink eneni - -c a lovelv an>t de&eate ttBL.