NEW ZEALAND SCENERY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 5, 29 July 1908, Page 43

NEW ZEALAND SCENERY.

RESULT OF COMPETITION, NO. 17. Our invitation for competitive papers descriptive of New' Zealand scenery has produced a large batch of entries from all over the country. ‘ Nearly the whole of these are of a high order of merit, and the task of adjudication has not been a light one. Again, it lias to be noted, however, that competitors have in some cases failed to observe the conditions. The prizes were offered for the best description of a piece of New Zealand scenery, not exceeding 200 lines of prose or 30 lines of verse; yet sonic competitors have set out to describe New Zealand scenery, as a whole, while an excellent paper on “A Kauri Bush,” which we had marked for second place, had to be disqualified,. because it contained far piore than, the stipulated number of words. -A vividdescription of “Dawn fr-’n the Summit of Ben Lomond,” which came next in point of literary merit,'.had-also to.be disqualified, on account of its having seven more words than the specified number. The subjects treated embraced some of the most striking scenery of the Dominion, Three competitors sent descriptions of Mount Egmont; two chose' the scone from the summit of Ben Lomond as their subject, and other entries included descriptions of the Franz Josef Glacier, the Wanganui river. Diamond Lake, and Parua Bay. The prizes had, of course, to be awarded on the literary merits of the papers, and not on the grandeur of the scene described. In this connection, it is clear that not a few competitors erred in choosing to depict scenes for the adequate delineation of which their literary powers were insufficient; while others selected verse as their medium, and marred descriptions otherwise most successful by faulty rhymes or halting metre. For a graceful set of versos oii “Mount Egmont,” the first prize falls to WALTER HARVIE, 33 Gladstone-street, . ( - r . r Auckland; while the second prize is awarded to L, TOMPKINS. Hamilton. We append the two prize compositions.

MOUNT EGMONT. (First Prize). Daybreak, and wind that blows with tnyf chillness, E'er yet the riven East asunder rilled Her shrouded gates, and o’er the early stillness Crept the soft shades of amethyst and - gold. Outlined in light, up rose that monarch hoary, ’Gainst the dark bank of* storm-clouds* massed and dun, While crowning that pink steep with flaming glory, The ice-cap glittered like a fallen sun. Untouched by cloud, with virgin beauties teeming, The mountain shone beneath the daylight’s glow; Its lofty cone in silver grandeur gleaming, Creviced and ribbed with everlasting snow. Centuries old, untouched by joy or weeping, Year after year, that changeless slope shall- be, Summer and winter its lone vigil keeping Sentinel over stormy leagues of sea. Evening and grey, with wind-racked . storm-scud flying; Broken and torn along the rugged sides. Still churns the screw; and now in distance dying, The dwindling summit from oar vision glides. More dim, for now the night mists rise to screen thee. Gleaming, steel-grey against a greyer sky. Now falls the shade, and proud of having seen thee, We bid thy snowy slopes a fond goodbye. ON A HILL NEAR WHAKAREWARICWA. (Second Prize). ■ The summit of a hill covered with titrec, bearjiig a profusion of starry blossoms. Below me lay the plain, weatherboarded houses, interspersed with whares, and the carved-fronted meeting hou'sb, forming the village of Whakarewarewa, interesting though indistinct through its .clouds of steam. To- the left .’the. Government grounds, overlooked! by. the quaint little room of Kerekere Hapua, the’caretaker,’ our favourite Bella’s husband. What was that glistening in the sunshine? A lovely shot of Waikorahihi, the nearest geyser—a glittering mass of pearly drops shooting GOtt. into the air! A few yarcbj aWay, the. cauldron boils and ■ scelltes;artH.. the dainty. Prince of Wales’, feathers show themselves, and Kereru’s. tall column appears , over the strange silica formation of one of the weirdest of .New. Zealand’s sights. Straight in front winds the wide dusty road, which leads x to- the Government township of Rotorua, picturesque in its leafy screen, with its health-giving sanatorium. Beyond are the lovely blue waters of Lake Rotorua, the stately Ngongotaha, bush-clad; and the island of Mokoia, appearing so near in the clear air, that we think Hinemoa’s historic swim could not have been such n terrible strain alter all! Truly, a wonderful panorama!