The Tourist Resorts of the Colony.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 22, 1 December 1906, Page 35

The Tourist Resorts of the Colony.

By

Marama

SECOND SERIES.—No. 1.

WELLINGTON TO TAUPO VIA NAPIER. One of the best and most comprehensive tours in the North Island is that from Wellington to Rotorua via Napier and Taupo. This embraces a run over the famous Rimutaka Incline, a visit to Napier, which is one of the prettiest seaside resorts in the colony, the drive from Napier to Taupo, which includes some very good bush scenery, while from Taupo right through to Rotorua, the visitor travels through the heart of the Thermal District, which is quite worthy of the name of ‘‘Wonderland” by which it is generally known. In the present article I propose to deal with the portion of the road between Wellington and Taupo. Leaving the Government station at Wellington by the 8.22 a.m. train, the line runs through Petone, which is really the manufacturing town of Wellington, and then, after passing through the picturesque Hutt Valley, a start is made to climb the Rimutaka Mountain by a zig-zag of fairly good grade, and during the trip up some very good views are obtained of the Hutt Valley below. Several small tunnels are passed through and eventually the summit is reached at a height of 1144 feet, the last SOO feet of which has been climbed in under ten miles. The actual summit is in the middle of a tunnel, and here as the train passes an electric bell rings’ to show that the up-grade is finished and the train then commences its downward course. After half a mile has been travelled, a halt is made aind the brake vans which grip the centre rail are put on to minimise the danger of running down the 800 feet, which is done in less than four miles. During the downward journey some magnificent views can be got of the gorges and the Wairarapa Plains stretching out far below, as the train rushes down the tortuous way which leads to the lower level. Wairarapa Lake I’es just at, the foot of the mountain and the train runs alongside it for some distance. During the run across the plains, Which arc mostly grazing country. Carterton is passed through. This has a very large cheese factory, and is the town in which the Wairarapa Society’s Agricultural Show is held annually. Masterton is another rising town which is mainly supported by the dairying industry. Woodville Junction, 116 miles from Wellington, is reached just after 2 p.in’.J and here twenty minutes are allowed for luncheon, which is partaken tif in a well-found refreshment room. ■Here the trains diverge for Palmerston North. Foxtoji, Wanganui, etc. The engine is reversed and the Napier train then proceeds on through some rather better and more, interesting country, 'consisting for the. most part of rolling downs, dotted with trees. At one time the whole of this country was covered With dense bush, but now' it has all been cleared and turned into dairy and sheep farms. Onnondville, a good-sized township, is passed through at 145 miles, and Waipukurau is reached at 167 miles.

Hastings, which is 200 miles from Wellington, is a very pretty and rather pretentious town with some very good buildings, and gives evidence of prosperity. Soon after leaving that place the line diverges to the sea coast, and runs along the beach until Napier is reached, the journey of 211 miles occupying ten and a-half hours. Napier itself is a fine town, and the inhabitants are very proud of their Marine Parade, which extends for over two miles. This place quite justifies the claim of the people to have it called the Brighton of New Zealand. It has a bright, breezy atmosphere, with a lovely situation in the bend of Hawke’s Bay with Seinde Island forming a beautiful back setting. Away towards Portland Island and south to Cape Kidnappers, the bay curves gracefully until it forms what is said to be a remarkable counterpart of the Bay of Naples. Westward and southward the Ahuriri Plains stretch away with the Kaimanawa and Ruahine ranges as a protection from the cold rains of the West Coast, while the expanse of water stretches away eastward, leaving the town open to the pure invigorating breezes of the Southern Pacific Oeean with its cool summer and warm winter winds.

The business portion of the town is built at the foot of Seinde Bill on a flat extending for several miles along the sea coast, while the resident’al portion is prettily situated on the various hills behind which form what was on<e Seinde Island but what is now a peninsula. Lovely villa residences are, dotted about these hills in a most picturesque manner embowered in trees and shrubs of luxuriant growth. There are some beautiful private gardens, in which tropical shrubs and flowers abound,' while both oranges and lemons can be seen growing in the open. The public gardens, which are situated in a valley, are very picturesque, the walks winding around the hills amidst a profusion of trees and flowers. The water supply is drawn from artesian wells, a fine high pressure system being obtained by pumping into a reservoir on the top of the hill, and the sanitary arrangements are equally good. Some lovely walks are available, and there is perfectly safe sea-bathing ■ from the Parade. The roads are perfect for cycling, both in the town and surrounding country. One of the favourite trips is along the beach front round Seinde Island via Port Ahuriri and the Hyderabad-road, a distance of about five miles, while beyond there is a stretch of many miles along the Ahuriri Plains on well-kept roads. A drive about the hills with varied scenery,’ affords many lovely peeps of river, mountain and sea, while within easy distance of the town is situated the beautiful Petane Valley, and also Meanee, with the celebrated vineyards of the Mission of Greenmeadows. At a distance of twelve miles is Frimley, vvhere there is an orchard with over a hundred miles of leach trees, and here there is established a very large fruit canning industry." There are excellent golf links at Waiohiki, close to the town, and good sea and trout fishing

are available. The Tutaekuri River which runs through a swamp to the south of the town affords very good boating and is well supplied with oil launches. A channel is now being cut so that this stream will run direct to the sea, and this will reclaim a very area of rich land. To the north of the town, and about half a mile away, is the breakwater and harbour, which now allows of fair-sized steamers berthing at the wharves, but most of the Home boats lie in the roadstead and are tendered by small steamers. A little Further round is an inner harbour and around this is the industrial portion of Napier. The fishing industry is a large one, quite a dozen steam trawlers bring engaged, and the fish are sent to Wellington by the morning trains. Large freez'ng works which deal with the o-.t put of the Hawke’s Bay sheep and cattle stations, are situated on the foreshore. The town is exceedingly well supplied with hotels, and there are plenty of motor cars and cabs always available.

The coach for Taupo, 101 miles distant, leaves Napier at 6.30 a.m. and runs through a valley in Seinde Hill until it emerges at the back of Port Ahuriri. The estuary is crossed by a bridge over half a mile in length with a couple of turns in it, and then for about four miles the road runs along a narrow shingle spit which divides the sea from the estuary. Here are a number of summer residences of Napier bus’nesspeople, who keep boats and launches for trips across the estuary to4he low foothills beyond, the water at this point being from two to five miles across. After leaving the Spit the route goes through the picturesque village of Petane. This is an historical spot, for it was here in the year 1867 that the Maoris attacked the settlers on what was then known as Captain Carr’s Hedgeley Station, but fortunately they were repulsed with the loss of fifteen of the natives. The road then winds for some miles through the Esk Valley with the river some distance below, anl in this stream excellent trout fishing is to be obtained. The road is very good, though hilly in parts until Maori Creek is reached at a distance of twenty-s’x miles from Napier. This is a canyon some hundreds of feet deep, not more than fifty feet at the top with precipitous sides, and is interesting as being the spot at which a great Maori massacre was enacted. The legend is to the effect that two tribes met here and that those who lived in the vicinity overpowered their adversaries and drove them over the cliffs into the creek below, where they all perished. It is stated that many attempts have been made to endeavour to recover the many valuable greenstone ornaments which are supposed to have gone over with th? defeated warriors, but so far without success. At Pohue (29 miles) a halt is called for luncheon and a change of horses, and here it is quite worth while to visit the lake, where the phenomenon of a floating island is to be scon. This place is at an elevation of 1400 feet above sea level and it is a favourite •holiday resort of Napier people, as the

streams around abouud with trout. There is a very commodious hotel here and very good accommodation. From Pohue to Tarawera is about twenty, miles, and for this part of the journey the road is very hilly, in four miles risthe valley is the Mohaka river, which is 1200 feet above Pohue. The descent has some very sharp turns, and these open out some grand views of bush and gorge scenery, while from the summit there is a line comprehensive view of the Hauraki Gulf. At the bottom of the valley is the Mohaka river which is a fine trout stream. This is now spanned by a splendid bridge, which has replaced the one washed away in the disastrous floods of 1807, :.t a cost of over £7OOO. A stiff elimb up a circuitous sideling road brings the coach to the Tuaranga Saddle at a height of 2900 feet, and from the Kutnu Hill adjacent, one of the best and most comprehensive views to be got in the colony is obtained. The descent of 1400 feet is made by means of a double crossing of the road, opening out a series of picturesque view's, and then a climb is made to Te Haroto. the site of an old block house, at which there is a native school and settlement in which there stilt exists one of Tc Kooti’s prophets. A descent is now made to the Waipunga, a good trout stream 49 miles from Napier, and a drive down a stony creek brings the coach toTarawera (52 miles), where the night is spent at a very good hostelry. This is the site of one of the old constabulary camps in the time of the Maori war, and here the first hot bath on the road is to be obtained. It is situated a little over a mile from the hotel, and is said to bo one of the best in the world for the cure of eczema and other skin diseases.

Next morning, ‘‘all aboard” is called at 7.30 a.m., and the coach rattles along to “The Nunnery” Creek, which is famous as the spot where the Maori women were consecrated in war time, and where the natives left all their women and children in 1867 when they went down to attack the settlers at Petane. From here the road winds round the hills through some very line bush, studded with tree ferns and toi palms, and, crossing the Waihone bridge, runs for some distance along the valley, which was the original boundary between the Auckland and Hawke’s Bay provinces. This valley is a great place for t he peculiar vegetable caterpillar. After climbing up through very fine timber in the Runanga Busti, Pakeranui Saddle is reached, from which a clear view for some miles is opened up, and a native village with runanga house is met with at Te-Nga-Kau-o-Kine-Kuku, and half a mile further on is the Devil’s Elbow, which is well-named, as the road here doubles back on itself by a very sharp turn after crossing a bridge at the point of the elbow. For the next few miles the climb is through magnificent busli. undoubtedly the best met with on the trip, and then .descends until the Runanga Falls come into view. Here the coach waits while the passengers go down and see this truly charming sight. There arc two distinct falls, which are led by the Upper Waipunga and Waiur.it Rivers, which converge at this point till they each drop into the main stream

GOft below at a distance of about 60ft from each other. This double fall is a very pretty sight, each of the brandies having at least three distinct falls, and the rocky sides are elot bid with deep green vegetation, while there is a sufficient volume of water to supply nil the power required in the Hawke's Bay district. Close by is the old military Kuuanga eauip. The next point of interest is the Oranga-te-Hau Sa/ A, which is the watershed between llav»» Bay and the Bay of Plenty. Hie Kal ro:i Plains are then entered upon,, with their interesting pumice creeks. These jPams are known as the home of the wild horse, anil mobs of these creatures <•»■! bo seen galloping away as the eoaeh a •■■roaches. After crossing the Kangi- > »Ki, another good trout stream, a stop >- nade at the hotel for luncheon and a mange of horses. ■’row here the country is mostly pumice, and rather uninteresting, until li|<-pe is readied, 12 miles from Taupo, litre are to be seen the remains of the will military headquarters when the armed coqstabulary were making the road from Taupo to Napier, which required at that time constant protection from the Maoris. Here, also, are the graves of 12 troopers who met their deaths at the hands of the natives. At that time (1869) Te Kooti was very troublesome, and this camp was made the headquarters of the Bay of Plenty cavalry. The iir trees and hawthorns planted at that time have now grown into immense trees, and the real Scottish heather is to lie seen in bloom on the hillside.

Nearing Taupo the first view of the Jake of that name is got with the magnificent snowy mountain peaks in the background. These include Tongariro (045-Sft), Ruapehu (8873 ft and Ngauruhoe (8873 ft Tauhara (3603 ft stands in the foreground, and up this a track of easy grade, has been cut in order to allow of tourists obtaining the view to be had at its summit, from which can be seen the three mountains just named on this eoast, and also Mounts Egmont and Edgecumbejon the other. From Opepefthe road descends for a distance of ten miles to the Terraces, which are really the commencement of the thermal district. Here there is a comfortable hotel situated on the cliffs above the Onekeneke Valley, which is full of hot springs, terraces, and geysers. During this descent views can be obtained of many steam holes issuing from the mountain sides, while the very active Karapiti Blow-hole, which Dr. Hector asserts is the safety valve of the North Island, shows out above them all with the immense body of steam which day and night issues from it. The view down into the Onekeneke Valley is a very pretty one, well kept gardens alternating with miniature hot lakes, mud geysers, boiling pools, silica terraces, ete. There is a natural soda spring and sulphur and alum baths, tlooil bathhouses have been erected, and the place is very well managed. The hotel itself stands in the midst of a grove of English trees, and from its balcony lovely views of Lake Taupo and the mountains at the back are to be got. The Terraces are almost on the bank ef the lake, and a two-mile drive brings one into the village of Taupo, which was once the headquarters of the military in this portion of the North Island.