A TRAMP ABROAD

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLII, Issue 19, 12 May 1909, Page 33

A TRAMP ABROAD

By

AJOR.

MOTUEKA AND RIWAKA

NE of the most beautiful seaside I q J boroughs in the province of Nelson is that of Motueka. and if I add that it is also one of the healthiest I but echo what many have already said. Motueka’s streets are all broad and straight, and rhe greater portion of its buildings new and prettily painted, whilst its schools and churches, and other publie places are all creditable enough. The orchards of its environments are the largest and most prolific I have seen in the province, lastly, its climate is. perhaps, better than that of the city of Nelson itself. But. notwithstanding all of these blessings, the people have long had a serious grievance. and it is this—The fruitgrowers who form the major portion of the population. and are the backbone of the place, have long reckoned they do not get anything like the real marketable value for their produce, and they are holding a " monster public meeting, convened by His Worship the Mayor at request of many ratepayers, to urge upon the general Government the necessity for

establishing in the Empire City a publie iniit and produce market, for reception, classification, and sale of fruit and produce grown in the Dominion. Amongst other attributes of civilisation. Motueka enjoys the benefits of a High School under the very able management of Mr. Griffen and staff. The number on the roll—about 150 —is steadily increasing. The High School building, which is a rather handsome structure, is about to be increased by the addition of a laboratory for technical educatton in farming and fruit culture. Riwaka, Riwaka. charming suburb of the borough of Motueka. may be truly said to be the garden and orchard of Nelson. Surrounded by hihs topped by' the higher mountains behind, which form a jagged outline against the higher horizon, this vale of Avoea smiles up at the sun through clear skies, and oer the calm waters of Blind Bay, which lave its shores to the North-East. The land al! around appears to be excellent, and produces marvellosu crops in fruit, hops, and vegetables, which, season after season, it gives forth. Riwaka has its miniature port of call, its public school, and sweet intelligent children, under the able tuition of Mr. Irwin: a post and telegraph office, a church, a public hall, and a capita' hotel, under capable management of Mr. Goodwin. The gardens, and orchards you require to see to fully appreciate. The folk of Riwaka are as genial as their sun. and as generous as their soil. Its rivers, the Motueka and

Riwaka, abound in trout. Visitors to Riwaka always experience difficulty in tearing themselves away from its attractiveness. But nine miles northwards, over the hills towards Takaka. the tourist has special attraction in the Riwaka limestone caves. Mr Lane, a Riwaka gentleman of artistic tastes, has these beautiful caves under his care, and it his capital photos which we reproduce in the “ Graphic.” These wonderful caves lie along the Riwaka-Takaka main road, between the sea and the road at an altitude of some I.oooft. above sea level, distant from Riwaka about nine miles. There, through an opening in the face of a terrace, which immediately overlooks the historical island of Astrolabe in matchless Blind Bay. we enter upon a perfect wonderland of limestone palaces, with natural statuary, wonderful ceilings, chandeliers, candelabra, bric-a-brac, and rare looking vases. Here is one cave 25ft. high, and 50ft. wide. In the centre stands a capital representation of a mythological god, gravely viewing the

doings of a Bacchanalian group in alabaster, whilst a maid in modern attire peeps shyly down between the stalactites overhead. No. 2 cave represents a crystal palace, hung with slender alabaster pendants, some of which nearly touch the floor of the cavern. Well up towards the left wall is a startling

statue of Britannia. No. 3 represents an angel in dazzling purity, weeping over the tomb of some fallen hero, whose mailed body lies upon the edge of a black, apparently fathomless, gulf. No

4 represents the mausoleum of an Egyptian monarch, with hundreds of silvery crystaline can-lies, and draped figures stand mourning silently around. No. 5 represents a modern hall, with a mosaic floor, and grotesque ceiling. No. <> represents the sword of Damocles—two men and a boy seated calmly under a great sword suspended over their heads by the thinnest of silver threads. No. 7 represents a weird cavern of dazzling lights and uncanny shadows, wonderful pillars, and arches, slender pendants of alabaster, and great dark bunches of grapes and clusters of flowers hanging down. The stalagmites are shaped like the American spread eagle, storks, cranes, vultures, lions, and tigers panthers, and other shapes. A Pretty Rural School. The Riwaka School, shown in our illustrations. is one of the prettiest rural schools we Lave yet seen. The school gardens, consisting of four departments —flower, fernery and pot plants, vegetable and native division—is a striking feature of the playground. Teachers, committee and pupils evidently take a pride in their school, which is a pattern of neatness, both internallv and ■ . I' -•-'.■■■ ; an - xcellent piano, a stereoscope and views, a powerful microscope, and a good school library. Everything is done to make school life pl-i-ant. an I evidently with good results, the attendance for last year being 02 per cent of the roll number. The number of pupils on the roll

is in the vicinity of 100. The staff! consi~t~ of Mr. Robert Irwin, headmaster formerly of South Canterbury!. Miss Salmon-1. who has been assistant mistress for 15 years, and Mi— lordan, pupil tea-

cher. The summary of -he repo:| of the school for last year was—Organisation, good: efficiency, good: order, tone, and liserphne, g . t \ - llent.