A GLORIOUS DRIVE

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 7, 17 February 1909, Page 25

A GLORIOUS DRIVE

ROTORUA TO WHAKATANE

IT was a cloudy morning. threatening rain, when I started from Rotorua at 7 o’clock, by the mail-coach for Whakatane a distance of 5S miles. The front seats are always at a premium, bat I had booked one some weeks before, for I wanted to get ns good a view as possible of the surrounding country.

The driver, noticing I had my camera, very kindly ottered to stop for me to take photos, whenever I liked. I must say, as we journeyed on. 1 could have taken a picture at every mile or so; the difficulty was to know where to ask him to stop.

The first ten miles lay over Hat country, hut rather picturesque in places, but when 1 remarked about it. I was told that the real scenery was further on. The road passes quite close to Tikitere. that place oi boiling mudholes, so much visited by

tourists from Rotorua. W’e had quite a good view of holes from the coach, and the sulphur smell followed us for several miles. After passing Tikitere. the road ascends and we seem to leave behind us all habitations. W’e did not meet a single vehicle from there until we got to our journey’s end. Part of the way. how-

over, we had the company of a boy who was riding on a bicycle, not an easy undertaking. the road in some parts being inches deep in dust and sand. He seemed to enjoy it all- Even when wo passed him in the swampy parts, trying to jump

wit h his machine, over the litdo brookcrossing the road, he was still smiling. Some- few miles from Tikitere we mitered the bush, and then I commenced to ex claim at the beautiful views opening out before us.

The bu-h in it -elf i« very line, but awe wound round the lake- an I caught glimpses of blue water, with here and then* some scattered Maori what'e- on the -here-, we were delighted. At one time the road runs parallel with th

water's edge.jiml then again is on a cut ting Idgh above, the bank on one side covered with ferns, and on the other the lake, many feet below. At one of the -harpest corners mi the road I took a photo of the coach ju-t turning, and the lake in the background, dhe four lakes

we skirted are Lake Rotorua. Rotoil i. Rato-chit and Rotoma. On arrival at the head of Lake Rotoma. we find, some signs of life. Stables of the Royal Mad Coaching Co. and a small room, very (lean and neat, where we procure some refreshing tea and hot scones from the

solitary proprietor. Such a peaceful little spot only occupied by I he ma n who attend- to the horses. and the provider oi 1 he tea. Here the horses arc changed, and after twenty minutes' rest we take our -eat- again, and proceed on our wav. The -mi is now out. and adds to the beauty. Belon* reaching Rotoma, the

driver -topped to allow -om ■ Maori boys to -e|| ii- <dierrie-. which they bad gathered and fixed on twig-, about h i’f a yard long Sm a a number of them clustered t oget her looked beautiful, an I ripe, juicy fruit thev proved too.

More beautiful lake and bush scenerv i li<*n followed, until Rotoma was a tiling ot the pa-t. and travelling up and dowr through the danse bush road, we gratin ally emerged on to more open country leaving t :e hills, clothed with thousand' of tree bird-, behind us. Here we have

a tine view of the ocean, with Whale I'land showing plainly, and While Island in the tar distance, with its canopy of st ea m. Ihe rc-idents of W hakatane told me. wlimi I was there, that when White l-land is active. they have not much fear

of ea I I hquake-; but when vry little -team i- ri-ing. the\ expect a shock. Speaking of earthquakes. the driver was telling us ihit h<* took the coach through on < hri-tnia- Day. and “Him did got a -baking up." dhe shocks have I heavier than in previous year-. but they always have them in Whakatane,

mon- or h*--. during tin* months <d De ( (•vhilmt. January, ami February. We find the dust rather bad here, but feel disposed to put up with anything tor tin* -ake of having had such a gloriou- drive. By and-by, out of the du-t in tin* distance loomed a black ob je<t. I a-ked what it was. and was told tin* coach from Malala. waiting at tin* lingci post to exchange mails ami pas--eiigei-. Our number was belt* increased l»y two gentlemen, who looked aggravat ingl\ fresh ami clean to our coachful of dusty travellers. Al 1.30 we arrived at Teteko. on the banks of the river Kangitaiki. Here w? dismounted, -hook oil’ as much dust as possible, and went into the hotel for dinner. Then* i- no bridge over th? river here. Vehicle- are taken across in a punt, which i- swung over by the curia nt. ami prevented from going out of its course by wire ropes. I was taken across first of all. and got a snap-shot of the coach and passengers crossing afterwards. | he rive.* is very pretty, willow- bending to the water’s edge on both -i«l;*s; the loaded punt swinging slowly across wa- a picture one would wish to represent in natural colours. I-re-1, hor-es again hen*, so (hey are not overworked about 20 mile- for each team, as nearly as they van arrange I'rom Teteko to Whakatane we passed

many homesteads, fine paddocks of maize, cattle grazing by the road-side, and every evidence of cultivation of the land. Although so far from Rotorua we had

not lost all traces of hot springs, but passed one some 10 miles from Whakatane. which seemed to be much used by Maoris.

There is still the Whakatane river to cross and no bridge yet to use, although one is in course of construction. Usually the coach drives to the bank of the river, and the passengers alight and are taken across to the other side in a small boat: mail- and luggage likewise. The driver then gets into the stern of the boat, with two horses, held by a rope, swimming behind, while the remaining horses follow of their own accord. A small coach and brake are found waiting on the opposite bank, in which the remaining two miles are travelled. But on this particular day of which 1 am writing the river was low. tide being out. and we forded, some half mile higher up. saving all the trouble. A good many of the inhabitants of Whakatane have their homes in this part, but the township proper is not seen until w e turn a sharp corner, between two picturesque rocks, and drive up the one and only street. It is a pretty place, one can see at a glance, and has not nearly so “out of the world” an aspect as one would suppose, being so far removed from a railway. We drew up with a final Ibmrish in front of the post office at about 5 o’clock, feeling quite satisfied that we had had one of the prettiest and most interesting drives in that part of the world.