WANGANUI.

New Zealand Graphic, 20 December 1894, Page 8

WANGANUI.

IN all New Zealand there is no more beautiful scenery to be found than that which characterises the Wanganui River, a noble stream, which, after running its tortuous course for a distance of about two hundred miles through scenes of varied and enchanting loveliness, debouches on the west coast of the North Island. Four miles from the river’s mouth is situated the pretty little town of Wanganui, past which the broad, deep current — spanned in two places by noble bridges—flows on its seaward way. Native villagesand mission settlements, nestling all along the banks in the midst of the loveliest environments imaginable, supply the tourist with a sufficiency of human interest which is varied at intervals by long reaches of silent grandeur where everything conduces to reverent, almost awestruck, admiration of Nature’s exquisite handiwork. Until quite recently access to the more distant, and most beautiful reaches could only be had by means of canoes, which had to be poled through the numerous rapids. The journey was therefore both difficult and tedious. Now, however, the requirements of travellers are fully supplied by two capital steamers of special construction, fitted with every modern appliance, which regularly connect with the high road to the Hot Lake district, thus enabling visitors to see sixty miles of river scenery such as is represented in our illustration. Two of these, by the way, are from another stream in the Wanganui district — the Mangawhero, also celebrated for its beauty. The scene entitled ‘ Mangaio Junction ’ shows the entrance of a tributary of the Wanganui, which joins the latter some seventy miles from the mouth, and is typical of the lovely vistas occurring from time to time as its numerous feeders add their quota to the grand stream. The ‘ Ladder Scene,’ which occurs about eighty miles up the Wanganui, is interesting as showing the only means of reaching terra firma from the river’s brink over several miles of that particular locality. The cliffs are thereabouts very high and precipitous, rising sheer out of the deep still water. Upon the tableland at the top are native plantations and camping grounds, and the ladders —their sole means of reaching their highway, the river—are of native construction. Many cliffs in the vicinity are similarly supplied. The Native Council Houses (wharepunasl shown in the illustration occur at the settlements of Galatea, and Tawhitinui on the banks of the Wanganui, and are of comparatively recent date.