To Rotorua and Back.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 414, 21 April 1904, Page 5

To Rotorua and Back.

(By '• DtsiwKa") (Continued), fFrom here to Lake Rotorua is all down hill for a distance of 14 miles, and occasional glimpses of the lake are seen from the train as it turns around the various bends. At 6 o'clock, we were on the railway platform amid the struggling humanity who were clamor* ing for their luggage. Being carnival week, made it a bit awkward for us, as all the hotels and boarding houses were full. Although the question of meals never troubled us, yet we did not know where to lay our heads that night. In this dilemma we were accosted by a civilian who asked us if we had any partieulai place to go to, and on receiving a reply in the negative, he told us that he could put us up. It appears that the carnival ccmmittee anticipating a large number of tourists and others, had appealed to the householders to do their best to enable the visitors to obtain aeeommoa dation, and the result was that nearly every private house was for a time to all intents a boarding house. This was indeed a relief to us—a party of five—who oosupied the same cabin from Dunsdin and whose destination was Rotorua. Satisfactory arrangestents having new beep made, after tee we were anxious to see the .town by night. Rotorua is a' small township on the Lake of the same name, with a population of—l should say—about TWO inhabitants and is 9184 above sea level. It is laid out in squares or blocks, and strange to say, there is not a foot of freehold in the whole of the district, the fori all belonging to the Government. Th© flections have an upset value pat on them, and where more sections are required they are put up by auction, some having realised £BO for a quarter acre section. This seems to be a large price to pay every year in ground rent alone, but of course many do not realise a quarter of that and some only a tenth of it. The soil is not of a good quality and most of the cereals and vegetables have to be brought in by rail from distant places. Tnere is a large quantity of ground covered by manuka scrub, and that is a sure sign up there that the soil is not of the best quality. The principal sight of Rotorua itself is the Sanatorium and grounds, the latter covering an area of about 300 acres. Most of the ground is in its natural state, but there are miles of paths cleared, so that a visitor may be enabled to enjoy himself in his walks along the shore of the Lake. . A band rotunda is erected in the grounds proper, while those who would enjoy a game of bowls, tennis or croquet can do so, as there are courts set apart for these games. Small geysers, steam vents and pools Of hot water abound in the different part* of the grounds, and a strong odour of sulphur is prevalent everywhere. Most of the hot springs have been tapped, and are conveyed to the baths, of which there are several. To those that desire a warm mineral bath, a plunge and a swim in the public Blue bath, which is about 60ft. z 30ft. with an average depth of 4ft (Sin, will do no harm, the temperature of these i waters varying from 90 to 95 degrees. The Duchess bath has a slightly higher temperature, going up to 93 degrees, in these, as well as the Blue bath, one can get a private bath, as the corridors are full of fair sited bath 'rooms with aU conveniences. The Priest baths are of a stronger nature, and also much hotter, going up to IQB degrees, Those are in great'demand for sufferers from rheumatics and like complaints. Mud baths (boiling mud), may be had here as well, as there are great curative properties for certain complaints contained in them, Tfas Sanatorium, is a spacious dwelling bqilt for and situated close to the different buildings over which the bathe are erected. The charges aire very moderate for invalids staying there, being only 90s per week, and as there is a doctor in the building, invalids may be sure, of receiving every attention.

As our chief oMeet in visiting the district was to sec the, wender of the world—^aipatngu—-we started the morning after our arrival to hike out to this gigantic geyser, It miles distant, Before starting we were informed that Waimangu would play that day, as it did not perform the day previous, and that it played every $Q hours. A crowd of about 40 visitors left Botorua at different hours of the morning, some on bikes, coaches and motor cars. The road goes through uninteresting country for most of the distance, but about 4 miles from ourdestination, on a large flat, we see evidence of the Tarawera eruption of |BB|U fart of this fiat is subsided fully and immense holes are to be found' throughout the length of it, some of them over 50 feet deep. The Government have erected a large accommodation house overlooking Wak mangu, the tariff being \% a day, but no spirituous liquors are sold. Leaving our bikes at the accommodation house we walk over to the shelter shed above the geyser. This trackgoes down-hill for some distance and! then comes a steep incline to the top. Since the aopident, when the guide and tourists met with a horrible death, the author*" ties have extended the danger fence some considerable distance from the old site, and notices are erected in many places notifying that persons inside the fence will be prosecuted. There is nothing much in seeing WaiW">g«. wb,en it is quiet, the only sights are two big potle of water at the head of a valley, and a mud flat adjoining. The top pool is called the Inferno, and although Just alongside the geyser* the the water is fuHy 3sft aboVe the level of sbe latter. Waimangu itself covers about three-fourths of an acre, and it is out of this pool tsftitha black e^tys

/is thrown up to 6 height of ttaw 800 to 1800 feet high. ibu awl to alluded to above goes by the same of the • devil's frying pan, end eonsists of boiling mad. The peals est rock bound, and in the many assures, the steam comes hissing through, Mid one can imagine that he is near or about I the infernal region*. The air i§ redo- | lent with sulphur. Many an anzions I eye overlook the geyser from the shelter I shed to see if there is any indication showing that it will soon play. Hour after hour we wait expectantly ; some tired of walking about, lie down to have forty winks, and a«-e rudely awakened by the cry of "there she goes," and hastily running to the brink to see it, only hear the sounds of ! laughter from those who •♦had " their victims. The shelter shed is built of wood, and both inside and outside are hundreds of names of those who came out to see the geyser. A large number have considered that Wiamangu is a fraud, and never goes o% and have written their opinions strongly on the walls. Some stated that they waited 9 days, others 8, and when they did see it reckoned that it was worth while going to all the little incenvenienoet to see such a sight. On the walls are to be seen several names of residents from Alexandra. I hope they saw it; I did not, even though we waited far over • hours* Xe eeeeattaaefl)