Health and Pleasure Resorts of NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XI, Issue 51, 23 December 1893, Page 532

Health and Pleasure Resorts of NEW ZEALAND.

WHAKAREWAREWA.

NO. 3.

/ Xrrxhe picture of Tarukenga station, / \St.z I which appears on this page, / should, it might be supposed, have been included in those articles in which we dealt with the formation and opening of the new line. It was, as a matter of fact, unavoidably crowded out of those issues, but being a very in terestiug picture, its insertion is apropos at any time. The sketch was taken by our artist immediately the Auckland train arrived, and shows the mingled interest and contempt with which the natives treated the iron horse. One actually unconcernedly sat himself down on the line, and absolutely refused to budge till the whistle screamed shrill expostulations. Almost all that is to be said concerning the sanatorium was included in our last number, but one or two p lints may be mentioned before passing to the WONDER OF WONDERLAND—WEIRD WHAK AREWAREWA, whose very name bewrayeth it. The most popular bath in the Rotorua sanatorium, more especially for persons in good health, is the Blue Bath, of which an illustration is given. The climate of the Hot Lakes district is excellent. We quote the following from the report of the medical officer, Dr. Ginders :— • The geographical position of the North Island of New Zealand will naturally suggest something of the character of its inland climate at an elevation of I,oooft. Rotorua is some forty miles from the coast. Its elevation is 990 ft. above the sea-level. The atmosphere is drier and more bracing than that of the coast—in winter considerably co’der, and in summer perhaps somewhat hotter, but of a dry pleasant heat, free from the moist oppressiveness which characterizes the summer heat of Auckland and other coast towns. The mean temperature of spring is 53deg., of summer 66deg., of autumn 57deg., and of winter 45deg. The relative moisture of the air for the four seasons (taking complete saturation at lOOdeg.) is—for spring, 74deg. ; for summer, 66deg. ; for autumn, 67deg. ; and for winter, 74 deg. The steam which rises so abundantly and perpetually all over the district no doubt adds considerably to the moisture of the atmosphere. This was clearly shown in the month of J one, 1886, when the great eruption of Tarawera took place. Therelative moisture for that mon th was lOdeg. in excess of the average, owing to the immense amount of vapour c imed by the eruption. The rainfall for the year is about 59in., and the number of days on which rain falls about 140.

Aicklan d has 18in. less rain, and thirteen more rainy days. The daily range of temperature is greatest in the summer and least in the winter. This condition maintains throughout the whole of New Zealand, and constitutes one of the greatest charms of its climate. No matter how hot a summer's day may be, the nights are invariably cool. The mean daily range of temperature for spring is 21deg., for summer 281eg., for autumn 23 leg , and for winter 20deg. These annual means, it must be remembered, are based on observations extending over seven years only, and consequently have only a relative value. For example, the rainfall for the six years ending with the year 1891, averaged 50in. per annum, but in 1892 the rainfall was 67in. ; so that for these averages to have an absolute value they must be based on observations extending over a far longer period.’ No writer, no artist could do full justice to the uncanny and tnrbnlent fragment of the earth’s surface known as Whakarewarewa. Long before we reach our destination, the now famous Geyser Hotel, of which we shall have much to say very shortly, clouds of steam, rolling masses of snowy vapour, curling into every imaginable graceful shape, have given warning that we are approaching a centre of the WILDEST THERMAL ACTIVITY. Every now and then some larger jet of steam shoots high into the air, giving notice that one or other of the geysers are performing. The scene is so wild, so desolate, that it is almost a surprise to draw up before the large and very smart-look-ing building which bears on its face the legend THE GEYSER HOTEL. Ready to welcome his guests stands Mr Nelson, as popular a host, as

genial a gentleman, and as instructive a conversationalist as yon shall find in New Zealand. Much of the unquestionable popularity of this first-class hotel—home would be a better word—is due to Mr Nelson’s faculty of making everyone at home, and a sort of intuition of the personal tastes of every individual guest. He is a man of great attainments, and a splendid linguist The toniist who makes a friend of Mr Nelson will learn more in half

an hour than from weeks studying hand books. The position of the hotel is unrivalled. It is in the very centre of the most wonderful corner of this thrice wonderful country. It is not strange, therefore, that EXTENSIVE ENLARGEMENTS TO THE POPULAR HOUSE

have been found necessary. A brief description may not be out of place. The Geyser Hotel has been so much renovated, enlarged, and improved that it is practically a new building. A handsome dining-room has recently been added, and upwards of fifty guests can now be seated. The glass, table-

linen, and Hower decorations are fully equal to any highclass European hotel. The new wing shown on the left picture contains bedrooms and private suites. Spotless cleanliness is everywhere. Spring beds, good cirpets, and attendance are all admirable. The cuisine is excellent.

Picnic lunches especially are thoughtfully prepared. The wine is of the best quality, and prices are moderate. The latest improvement consists of a very large billiard room with a capital table ; and there is also a separate bar-room for Maoris now erected, apart from the hotel. This most important improvement means entire freedom from theob-

jactionable native element and rowdyism. All the other arrangements are very good. The drawing rooms are homelike, and the smoking-room is also snug Particulars concerning the genial host and hostess, other outdoor improvements, etc., more anon.

We must not, however, stop longer in the hotel if the sights of Whakarewarewa are to be seen. But here one may well pause abashed. How can the extraordinary turbulence, the deviltry of this place be described in words’ It is almost hopeless to attempt a description. It has been done so often, yet no description has or ever can convey any

true idea of its extraordinary sights. They sound wonderful enough in all conscience, but they are infinitely more wonderful to see. Under the circumstances we will merely indicate what may be looked at, leaving the impossible task of adequate description to more daring pens. Now that the Pink and White Terraces are no more, WHAKAREWAREWA IS UNQUESTIONABLY ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PLACES IN NEW ZEALAND. The merely casual glance round which is bestowed by those who drive through on their way to Taupo can give no con-

cepticn of the mysteries and marvels of the place. A stay of some days should be made, for here is a concentration of the thermal activities of the North Island. The Maori village lies just across the bridge. There is a toll house, at which you will be asked for a toll, which, however, you may escape if a guest at the Geyser Hotel, though, to be sure, the trifle of Is 61 may well be bestowed in any case. The village laundry will probably be passed impatiently by on the first occasion, but it will repay study on future visits. The Whakarewarewa Maoris are a most cleanly set of

natives, and may be seen busy at work almost any morning washing their snowy garments. Attention will first be called to Parekohuru, the great Ngawha and cooking pool, a remarkable circular crater of clear blue water, nearly always at boiling point, and Korotiotio, a furiously-boiling broken crater, which supplies the Oil Bath and the open baths of the natives. About a hundred yards further is the geyser plateau, on which is situated the Brain Pot (a low circular erection standing upon a raised platform of decomposing geyserite, and pos-

sessing a curious and interesting history), and the geyser Waikorohihi, the most persistent and regular worker on the field. The imaginative white man looking at the Brain Pot will have no difficulty in bringing before his mind a gruesome picture of the olden time, when this receptacle was dedicated to the awful use its name indicates. The maneating Maoris must often have sat round here and watched with grim satisfaction the bubbling caldron, to the surface of which would rise, now and then, the rapidly-cooking head of some hated and vanquished enemy.

It is a relief to turn from the terrible pictures thus conjured up to the open bathing pools, where the natives disport themselves in water in which many white men would hesitate to immerse their hands, so hot it is. In one of these yon may find at all hours of the day a merry shouting crew of COPPER SKINNED URCHINS, who clamour for pennies. A shilling in coppers thrown into these pools will afford the visitor endless amusement. The manner in which the young rascals dive and scramble for the coppers under the hot water is extraordinary. Their

elders and parents look on gravely and with manifest approval, which is not unnatural, since they must certainly derive a considerable income thereby. A few yards nearer the bank of the stream is THE GREAT GEYSER POHUTU, which is supplied by the open reservoir, Te Horo, a great well of boiling water 15 to 20 feet in diameter. The water in Te Horo is constantly rising and falling. As it rises it boils furiously, and gives off dense cloudsuf steam; when neaily full, thousands of large glassy bubbles dance all over its surface, and beautiful fountains of dezzling brilliance play up at intervals to a height of from two to twenty feet, then suddenly and with a tremendous overwhelming rush, Pohutu sends up from its mouth a tall, streaming column of water, to a height oft-times reaching 100 feet. The MAGNIFICENCE OF THIS GRAND DISPLAY cannot be expressed in words, and it sometimes maintains its discharge for two or even three hours. A picture is given of Pohuto, drawn by Mr Deverell, but no picture can ever do justice to the fearsome gorgeousness of the display. The sight is one which once seen'will never be forgotten. The immense clouds of steam, the vast column of boiling water shooting up to the greatheight mentioned, the roar, and the general upheaval, of mature impress themselves on the memory most powerfully. Visitors who pass through Whakarewarewa often miss seeing Pohuto, as the giant only plays at certain hours. Those who do miss it, assuredly depart without seeing o*seof, if not the most impressive sight in the lake country. Immediately under Pohutu, and close to the bed of the creek, is the geyser Kereru, and under the water the Torpedo keeps up a series of detonations and eruptions. To the writer this was one of the most curious and most interesting sights in the district. The upheavals in the river bed and the sometimes cannon-like explosions are most uncanny. About a hundred yards beyond is the platform and cone of THE WAIKITE GEYSER, the best known in the district, and since the eruption of Tarawera it has been in constant activity. Its waters are highly charged with silica, and artificial erections have been built to convey the discharge over a large surface, so that in a few years rhe mound will be coated all over with a beautiful enamel similar in appearance to that of the R otomabana Terraces. To a great extent this is so already.

The front of the cone—that is to say, the hotel side, is already A BEAUTIFUL MINIATURE OF THE FAMOUS WHITE TERRACE. In the pool aronnd there are colours which no artist could ever transfer to canvas—colours which nature can only make in the mad mood she adopts at Whakarewarewa. A picture of the geyser appears in this issue. The great Wairoa geyser is an uncertain fountain which issues at very irregular intervals from an orifice just below the Brain Pot; at favourable opportunities its column is said to rival in height that of Pohutu. A little below Waikite and higher up the creek is the Giant’s Caldron, a fierce boiling crater on the bank of the stream. Across the stream and by the side of the Taupo road is a series of beautiful mud volcanoes, and a warm opal lake, very curious and interesting ; while about a mile from the road is the Arik kapa-kapa bath and lake, celebrated for its curative properties. This necessarily brief, and, we fear, somewhat imperfect sketch of Whakarewarewa would be still more impeifect were no mention made of the IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS recently made. No one who visited Whakarewarewa a few years ago and who now visits it again can fail to be struck at the work accomplished solely by the energy, intelligence and perseverance of one man—Mr C. E. Nelson. As host of the Geyser Hotel Mr Nelson is universally liked and respected by those brought into contact with him, but few have any idea of the enormous amount of woik he has already accomplished and is accomplishing in connection with THE THERMAL RESOURCES OF THE PLACE. The Alum Bath, without question the most enjoyable for healthy people, has been deepened and greatly enlarged. The bather now stands in about four feet of water, while the natural waterfall (some nine feet across) which supplies the bath pours down a vast volume of water, under which it is just possible to stand in the heaviest part. As its name denotes, the bath is impregnated with alum, and the water is cold with the chill off, * like a cold bath with a kettle full of hot thrown in,’ as one man described it. Mr Nelson has erected a comfortable dressing room and a set of steps into the bath—an improvement greatly appreciated. THE NEWLY DISCOVERED BLUE BATH AT WHAKAREWAREWA. The biggest work on which Mr Nelson is engaged is the erection of a large new • natural ’ bath in the precincts of the hotel itself. The water is being brought from the famous Spout Bath source (a vast boiling lake supplied by a geysei), the pipes being laid in a direct line and bridged across the river. This will save invalids a considerable walk, and add to the attractiveness of the Hotel. It was in the making of dams and other arrangements for this project that Mr Nelson discovered what will probably become a most popular bath. It has been christened the Blue Bath, and most certainly deserves its name more than the splendid swimming bath at Rotorua. The colour of the water is the most perfect blue imaginable—a deep, rich, translucent sapphire. It is some fourteen feet deep, so MUST NOT BE PATRONISED BY NON SWIMMERS. The temperature of the water is not too warm for swimming, being about the same as its well-known namesake at Rotorua. A bathing house is being erected, and when this is done there is little doubt that the Blue Bath will be the bath for those who can swim. ANOTHER NEW BATH is situated in the hotel grounds. It is hot and strongly sulphurous, and will meet the convenience of rheumatic visitors to the Geyser Hotel. During the last year the sanitary arrangements at Whakarewarewa have been very greatly improved, and are now better than any in the whole Hot Lake district. In conclusion, we should strongly advise the visitor to make it his business to cultivate the acquaintance of Mr Nelson. Judge Fenton had the greatest belief in Mr Nelson’s knowledge of the Maori character, and it is impossible to talk to him for five minutes without becoming awate that confidence was well-deserved. A deeply read Maori scholar, he will give the greatest ignoramus a keen insight into Maori ways, manners, and stories in a style that is as charming as it is instructive.

The annual Riccarton Fete (Christchurch) took pla’e on Thursday in the Parsonage grounds, and was in every way a success. Lord and Lady Glasgow arrived at 230 p.m., and were met by the Rev. W P. Winter, who escorted them round to the various stalls, when they generously distributed their favours to one and all in a pecuniary way, and were much interested in the proceedingsduring their short stay. A very brisk business was kept up, and an occasional play or pretty dance gone through giving great pleasure. The Devonshire art pottery always displayed for sale at this fete is quite a feature, and was, as usual, much admired. The Countess of Glasgow held a reception later in the day on Thursday (on account of the FO e), and perhaps that was the cause of the rather thin attendance. The day was beautiful, and it is surprising so few people were present.