AT THE CHILDREN'S PARADISE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 700, 28 December 1909, Page 3

AT THE CHILDREN'S PARADISE

I,I'ALL BAY. . ;>"I have never before scen.such a sight in' New Zealand, "■ said a lady who motored .past:'Lyall Bay yesterday'afternoon.- ■ "It Aas more like Brighton beach' than , anything I have, over seen in the Domin-; :ion.":, . : : V.:" ;; >- .«She- might. well ■ express her' surprise, for tho aight of Lyall Bay at,four o'clock in tlxe >; afternoon, when already people jwere beginningV to turn homewards -.was an amazing ono: To uso a domestic illustration, the beach'looked like the edge of a tart covered.lwith those little -pale-col; oured sugar grains known aa hundreds- . and-thousands, for, aS far'.as it extended!:; : .the sand was covered with little dots iof pale blue, green, pink, and white, most of those dots representing children.. Climbing to-the top of a sand-hill for a .better -view, one found that the' hills were as thickly, populated as the beach, that every dimplo in the! tawny dunes, every little rise, was the site of a picnic party. ! Somo "of, the picnickers' had made for 'theruselveS primitive tents by means of a few stray poles and a sheet, and. the shade afforded, by these during'the heat of the day -must'have been' very grateful. Everywhere there were children. Those ' couples happy, in each other's company, ! who hauut most seaside resorts on a holiday, -were not-conspicuous here. It was no place -for happy "solitude, but it was; pre-eminently a place for families, aparadise for!: children. Of course, remembering, the winds - that, blow so violently, if not frequently, one' must always qualify the' statement that any ; place within a : ton-mile radius of Wellington can ;tyi. a paradise,■' and probably on a blustering .day- Lyall Bay is a-place to.be most carefully shunned,' but most' days; there must be pleasant days. It' compares very favourably with otherJjopiilar Reaches in New j Zealand; with - Sumner,vtor the sandhills are nearer the sea, and that ■ is| a" great advantage .to bathers, with.'New Brighton'; since it is .much ■ more beautiful and probably safer' than New :Brighton;'as-it is certainly, much isafer , than/: the.- exquisite' but treacherous beach at St. Clair, to: which puncdin flocks''on , holiday. 'It is infinitely to be preferred to the beach at Island Bay, and ' one quite understands hovr. it has been compared.;to tho ocean' peach at.Jlanly. .-. ; ■'-\ ■' . ■ . y The", bay", forms almost a semi-circle, and inwards; from eithor end stretch lines of .rocks.''.that' must'still further shelter tho beach- from rough weather outside: Yel- , low - brown -is;. the colour of -the place,' yellow, .brown . hills with' just the faintest ; touch of palo green-at the ?nase of tliose' 011 the. east, and more'yellow than brown the - tawny grass; that covers the sandhills. ..The,- sand is dark and fine, and -when wet .sets -more: solidly than'most sands . do. - It. sounds rude to call ,cousin .'to:, mud, ; b'ut so. it is. -She beiloh might.be made for children, so gently, it shelves,, and so Caressingly do tho ; little; .wavelets -break alpng, its : edge;■ The; children had a fine-time there yesterday. "The'stbrm ; of the day before had; brought; to. shore great masses of shining brown .kelp,, whioli', lay strown along the "beach,' .to |be gathered by the little .ones' into slippery heaps, on- which - one could: play'"King,of/the.iC'astle" with ( great effect. Mats of the " weed floated in tlie f water,.where' the. current set . in, ..and .this .tUd 'not in'.the least interfere, i with' the: cfildren's pleasure in , leaping" ' .and jumping., about-the- breaking waves, ; while it . ma'do tho . crystal clear-' r ness-. of', the, pale.Screen '.waves .further , along , the beach npre beautiful by. forco of contrast. ' '.!;., ■ -' : - : ■; Even the ' tiniest . children, paddled, their clothes, tucked up high arid bunchily, around, ; tljem,.iindf.the-mothers paddled, ■besido -.them,. enjoying ;the fun.: and'the ■cool lapping, of the little :wayes quite as ■ much as their "sniill 'chlldreil? " *Oiie"ftiltc 'grateful for i children' . prettily, 'in; wK'ite' ; ol ; "-,in"'c(il- :l ; ours;that' harmbnised wi'Hi' : ,sea,;and helped theni everywhere ;to "make ; delightful 'little' pictures. ; : Anyhow, '.a ichild- on. a. Beach"makes t a "pleasing littl.e , 'picture,..but' the choice, of colours is not :to ,be ' disregarded.'J;Vlt -was not- only the sea .that fascinated $ne children—the sandi hillS did their share, and :on the beacli ; itself .they • trotted; about -very happily; .playing.; .games:- suitable .to . theirages.: -There of grown-ups. with - them, ' ; :;perfei'ps• Vmorp grown-ups . than ;• : children; but seen against the sunshine -the beach. presented a curious, picture; , dozens,,of .little -'biu'e :brown, legs could be seen nt ■a; glniice ,'a's. the..' children rail; or; skipped..or.. with spade. ■ £md. buckets making wonderfulthings.- f ; Some - interest I: was. caused - during the afternoon by a id an who went, proudly • ont'across the little breakers in a small 'canoe.' rosW'btfoyaritly. over the first wave, thdj, seiiond and third, but ,in the height of . his. pride, and at tho. top of -.' a-low,green wn.ve'.'mirgmg'sho.rewards.'lifc. ■ little'.canoe capsized, and : the boatman came, ashore to. wait till the waves ■ brought .the- canoe, after.him, when he and a' friend waded 'out 'and turned it right, side :up again. :lt was a iscene to:fasciniite,any, boy. and,;make. him long for : a' car.oe at Lyall- Bay, : and quite .investing enough to. make any mother def termine that m: should .not have one.'. •- One hopes that the. sandhills which ■■ make "half the charm of Lyall Bay, which serve as a dining-room for the pic-: ' .nickers,: and afford a ;'certain amount of ' shelter from .little; .wiids,'--.will be saved, for the. enjoyment of mothers- and chil- . dren, and that any houses that' may be biiilt-atfltlie; Bay'-will go.: further back. Certainly;' if it'were beach alone. Lyall 'i Bav would not bo half,so charming.'