A CITY BY THE SEA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1547, 17 September 1912, Page 6

A CITY BY THE SEA.

TIMARU AND ITS FUTURE, [Bt Svlvius.].

People in the North, Island are only too apt to discount tho steady progress which is being made by some of the towns at least in tho south. Tor ten or fifteen years past the North Island has literally leaped ahead, and following tho tangible progress which succeeded tho opening of. the Main Trunk line, thouands of people came from the South Island to try a fall with fortune in. the rapid-moving north. At the samo time the last three or four years seems to have witnessed onoof those quiet, indefinable movoments forward on tho part of certain towns, notably Timaru and Invcrcargill. Whilst Duncdin has practically sat light, the "capital of Southland" has gathered riches unto itself, by reason'of its fine back country, and tho closer' settlement of it that has been going steadily on of late.

Anotlier southern town wjiich positively glistens with the friction of progress is 'I'imaru—the natural coastal outlet of the fattest land in all 'New Zealand. .It is pleasant to northern (say "Wellington) eyes to mount tho crest of one of tho gentle undulations of suburban Timaru, ro look over, a vast area of corrugated brown loam lands, ploughed on 'plough* able as far as tho eye can' follow tho geiitle ascent of' tho Canterbury 'Plains, and at tho back of .the prospect tho glistening, glory of the Southern Alps, forming at'once a kindly shelter from the rudo westerlies, and a "back-cloth," impressive enough to be at once tho hope and despair of any artist. Timaru h-as ' ■ growing pains. The toVii lengthening and broadening visibly, ami it is growing esthetically on tho right lines. It bdasts.-onc of-the finest bathing beaches in New Zealand—perhaps tho very best, as there is no guile in the waters or sand of ' picturesque .Caroline Bay. It is. perfectly -.safe, and for -a bathing beach is "said to have the lowest death-rate in tho Dominion, which is greatly to its credit. The formation of Caroline Bav is a romance in beach construction. " Before Timaru woke up ■ the sea used, to lap .'the low cliffs that.pursue a parallel line within a biscuit throw' of its 'main thoroughfare—Stafford Street— mid its waves' used, to break .themselves on rock-patches nivd shingle beds. After vawning for a year or two, Timaru stretched itself, ■and. decided to build a harbour. Why should the vicld of all those fat lands behind go through Lyftclton? Why, indeed? 'So it buildcd a great stone breakwater, and in - its lee built a nice little harbour, where• vessels could be laden without the senseless bobbing about thoy were formerly subjected to in tho rainiest weathei m'tliii" opei,. roadstead. The breakwater was an inspiration, plough no one knew it at- tho time.' It stopped the. lateral wash of.the shingle'along the'beach and'itself became part'of the barrier. Then as tiriio went on thn sand which shifts witii'ev.ery wave worked round the tip-head, and deposited itself on the shore beyond and immediately to , the .north of the'harbour. Gradually and most effectually the' process has covered all traces of rocks "and shingle, and- a beach of the finest sand has actually been manufactured,, viitre was only some twelve years or so ago a rough and unattractive bit of rocky coast-line,' Timaru ' is' ' making more of her Caroline Bay .than is the'case of any bnach-possessing'town in New Zealand. There are 50 or GO'bathing machines, see-saws, shelters, beach gardens, seats, etc., nil designed on good lines—all this within five-minutes' walk of'tlie centre of "the town. "At the othor (southern)'. end of the town, fine p\iblic garden's are being-laid-out: on a design that lends itself capitally to picturesque landscape gardening.' Business people aro satisfied, and the town is brisk with building operations in every direction. Ballautvne's are building a new' warehouse in Stafford Street, North, and quit\ near a new hotel is being.erected. .Farther on again a forty-roomed private, hotel is being built, with a good view of the bay and coastline, extending northward into tho dim perspective. Mr. William Gunn has just erected as smart a theatre as there is in New Zealand for the cost. Tho stranger can. feel on arrival that there is vitality in the air of Timaru, and an electric tram service may come with the completion of the Lake Coleridge power scheme.

There was only one fly in the ointment —in the hotel I'stayed at I had to. retire !>v the light of a candle, which reminds nio of a story. An American tourist arrived at Invorcargill a few months ago, and when sleep called him to rest he found tho usual piece of vertical paraffin on his: table. Ho examined it carefully, out it was not until• he found the wick that ho realised that it was a candle. "Gee," said ho next morning to his fellow tourists, "I found a candle in ma room last night—ma mother used to talk about themr