ROTORUA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 17, 26 April 1911, Page 64

ROTORUA.

April 22. The Easter Holidays. The name of Easter in Rotorua eon* jures up visions of all sorts of festivities, and with quite 2000 visitors in the place Rotorua had this year laid itself out for “a good time”; but, as so often happens at Eastertide in New Zealand, that allimportant factor, the weather, behaved atrociously, and did a great deal to mar the holidays. Not a chink was there to spare for visitors by Good Friday morning in any of the boardinghouses, and even private residences were called upon to “lend” a verandah or a tent to stranded acquaintances. Saturday morning was wet (though it cleared sufficiently in the afternoon for the much-talked-of tennis tournament to be begun on the asphalt courts in the gardens), and Sunday also was showery. Monday there was no rain, but a tremendous gale raged all day, and tennis was played under difficulties. Over 80 matches were got throqgh on this particular day, and excited great interest. A Dance. On Saturday there was a very jolly dance at Brent’s, where a great many of the tennis people were staying, and on Easter Sunday the great attraction was the soaping of the Wairoa Geyser, which about 1500 to 2000 people went out to Whaka to see. But the geyser declined to respond. The tea kiosk did a tremendous business that afternoon — tea is a solace for many woes. The churches were thronged in the evening, St. Luke’s having quite insufficient accommodation, and the congregations dispersed to the accompaniment of heavy rain. Easter Monday. The chief attraction on Monday, of course, was the tennis tournament, and the Sanatorium Gardens, all freshly washed by rain and looking bright and green, wore a most animated appearance. Hundreds were away on the different. trips, and at the Marine Parade the Rowing Club strove to hold a regatta for the edification of the crowd near the lake. It always blows when we try to have rowing sports here. A Dance. On Monday night the Rotorua Tennis Club gave a most successful dance for the visiting players in the Parish Hall. Owing to the fact that almost all the club men were busily engaged in the gardens all day getting the tournament through, and that several of the lady members were more than usually busy because of the Easter rush and unable to help, it was impossible to make

the dance anything but the simples! affair. It fell to the lot of a few (chiefly] Miss Corlett and a few others) to dtt everything, and they carried the attain through most successfully, visitors all expressing themselves as thoroughly] delighted. Amongst those dancing were;] Mrs. Maxwell, Mrs Kent (Auckland), Miss Frater (Auckland), Miss Empson, Miss Stella Empson, Miss Hawkesworth, Miss Bock, Miss Bagnall, Miss Pownall, Miss Bueknill, Miss Corlett, Miss Melville, Miss Butler (Wellington), Misa Myra Reid (Auckland), Misses Barstow, (2) (Auckland), Misses Taylor (4)1 (Cambridge), Misses Ussher (2), (Auckland), Miss Marriner (Auckland), Miss Crowther (Auckland), Miss Caldwell (Auckland), Miss Wilkinson (Ham. ilton), Miss Udy (Auckland), Miss Luns don, Miss Crapp, Miss Blades, Miss Cars ruth (Auckland), Miss Met.’aife lAuck* land), Messrs. Algie, Melville, Thacker, Empson, Ohlsen (Auckland), Angus (Auckland), Meredith (Paeroa), Brown (Auckland), Hume (Auckland), Rich* ardson and Banks "(Cambridge), Lough* nan (Hamilton), Jordon (Hamilton) > Gannaway (Auckland), Clifford (Hamil* ton), Larner (Auckland), Kerr (Opo* tiki), Hanna (Auckland), Mark (Auck* land), Hawkins, Murphy, Cooke, Dis, Aieken (Auckland), Crooks, and Hay. There were a great many others, but the room was so full it was difficult to see. On the following evening a delightful little dance was given by Mrs. Frank Lun don. Personal. Miss Dunnett (Auckland) is the gues. of Mrs. F. Rhodes at present. Miss Stella Empson left on Easter Tuesday for a three months’ exchange, in the Wellington G.P.O. Miss Wordsworth (Auckland) is visit* ing Mrs. T. Walker. Great sympathy is felt for Mrsr. Flower (8.N.Z.) through the death oi her mother, which took place last week* Mrs. Cresswell was on a visit to her daughter lately, but as she was an in* valid her death was not altogether un«i

expected.

RATA.