WITH TENT AND MOTOR

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 5

WITH TENT AND MOTOR

FROM WANGANUI TO RAETIHI AMD OH TO NATIONAL PARK LB,y Trill'.] fAll Rights Reserved.) One of Hie principal reasons why the \Vaiiganui-Rael ilu route has not. been previously described is that it lias boon under repair during most of the summer ,a ml as a result has been in poor order, and likely to give trouble to the unwary. ‘* 'trip ■' was over this road early in l , ’ehrnary, and it was then rough in patches, with a good deal of mud in places. Unless the weather at Castor is very different From the weather we had at Christmas, motorists will bo wise to choose some other route lor the journey to National Park or Taupo. An all-weather route from the south is via Napier and Tanpo, and i'rom the north via I’otorna ami Taupo, these roads being inlinitcly better than the Wanganni-I’aetihi stretch. The Napicr-Tauno road is very much sleeper in places, of course, as this crosses tin' main mountain ridge which runs through the island, lint, the surface is good, being metalled for a great part of the way, while the remainder, a pinnace formation, inner cuts up very uadly, although getting a bit rough at t lines.

Hie Wanganni-I’aet ilii road is pracl icallv parallel with Lho Wanganui River tor a considerable portion of tin l sixty miles stretch, hut it docs not run besuk' it. and the views from the road are tint inly of rugged hush scenery nl .. type similar to that: seen between Napier anti Taupo in the higher country, Once the road has (icon nteialled it shotild lieeonio a very popular highwav for tourist trallic, for it is the most direct route to National Park and Tattoo from a good many of the southern towns. These roads in the centre ■it the island were renowned a- the worst m the North Island up fo about three or tour years ago, hut the wonderful imtirov■emeiii s whieh have linen et ice ted make them amongst the best' at the lesser used highways, for. tiller all. it is tourist trafTie pure and simple which misses over all of them. PLENTY OF CAMPING SITES. The road is a winding one must nl the way, and N iairly narrow, ncccssltaiine earetni driving It crosses many small hill>, being up ami down all the wav. hnt there are no steep pinches, and am car can make tins trip with ease nrovided the surface 13 right. Anyone contemplating the trip at Raster sitonid get the last-minute infonnalion regarding the road from an automobile a-soeiatmu. The associations now rcali,e the need for this type of inlonnatiun. anti most ohtaiu it front reiinhle -onrees rcgniarly throughout. the holiday period. There are pieniy of suitable camping spots along tiie road, and for those who ran -hoot good sport, with wild jugs, v.ilieh abound in some ol the country, and whieh, in tact, are a real nuisance. Tiu' road misses up over the Mangav. iaero Valley, and some line views ol the valley are obtained from the hilltop. The road rims out through .Mahirikiri, and tin through Kakatahi. passim: fairiv close to the far-famed Pipifiki, and some good walks can he accomplished if camp is made near Ihe road. At Raetthi there is a motor camp, hut as there is little ol interest there most motorists would he merely ■.topping there over night before making on to National Park. NORTH ISLAND PLAYGROUND. When the accommodation .hostel has

i i: <■t' 11 romuleted. 1! i N;it,iu na I Park will j i .'cniiK; til.- playground of tin.- North | Maud iii c.mul Iv the same way as ; .Moii iu Cmm i- in the Month Island. ' There i-, of course. n very groat ilifierj mire hetween the two |ilaees, and those 1 rim ran do so will certainly visit both. 1 In tile past the lack of anything hut ! snali 1 aeeniminidation at the park has i prevented hundreds of people from | making the trip, hut. with a we 11j erpiipped hostel, providing every eiass | ni accommodation, tlio journey will he I mo't attractive. The provision o[ this I class of accommodation henefits tin- | motor camper just a> much in anyone j else, for tiiose in charge now recognise j that it is wise lo encourage moior I ramping, anti llms add to Ihe returns, i At .Mount Cook splendid provision is made, and it. will he the same at the National Parle. Meantime several grades of accommodation are available, v, Idle camping places can also he had, a small charge lining made. ; Tin- host way nto the park is ■ through V, aimarino, as Ihe road leads ’ lo the park' headline rims and the site I of the accommodation house. Ihe road j between Haetihi and \\ aimarino is in i ,'air order, while that from Waimarino ; on wauls is now a very .good load, ha vI lag been greatly improved recently by ; prison labour. An alternative mule in Is through Wa iom n. hut Ihe mad i - i mill'll rougher. and I Imre are many 1 1 iii i(• 11 11 cros-.iiigs after rain, I-Toni l*aeithi lo Wainiariiio is only a iwenlyi h roe -mile run. 'o Ihe run lo the park ; ran easily he arrmii pi mimo in the morn-

'l’ 1 1 f■ t■ ‘ iI It‘ IIM Ililfl lull' lll'l Wcell WiMmarino :iiid Tiiu po, and ihnmghuni the journey t’u' motorisi is icgaied ivil!i ic‘ver-cndmg | i:i noiamia ol i lie snowr:i |i|icd 1 ; 11 J11111: ii n -s. Il U :I glorious mud (ino nf Ihr mo-( -jn.’< tnouhii- in Now Zealand —in good v, rather. THE PARK ITSELF. The park rovers an area of well uvrr 1()(I,I}IHI acres iif a tussocky typo nl country. wlnoli abounds in I!t<■ centre of the i-1 iim 1. the three mountains homy: I! Hitjjoliii. Toiigarirn. and Nsimniliuo. Apart fmm the more strenuous ciiniirs there arc plenty of interesting \valks. tin' snowy mountains doniinatiny; the tvhole oouniryside. Once in 1,1 k" park, of course, the oar is piactioally useless, as tracks lead iron point to point, and the journey eon lie accomplished only on loot. _ Those who arc contcmplat in;; a stav in the, park itself should read Mr .lames Cowan s hook. ‘The Tongariro National Park,’ which gives word pictures ol the hbanty of (he mountains and accurate descriptions of the various track-.

Ruapehu is, o( course, the most popular of Hie park’s attractions, and (he mountain on which most ascents are made. All the necessary climbing gear can he obtained at the park headquarters. and guides arc available. (Inides ar<> essential. Xgauruhoc has at limes been the most spectacular of the three mountains, for it is still an active ..’cano, although no lava, has flowed for many years. Periodically (he mountain erupts and throws up ashes, and when it does so, the scene at night is one of indescribable beauty. The furthest-north mpuntiin is Tongariro. in which the red crater. Ilia blue lake, and t.lie wonderful and aweinspiring Kototahi springs are the three principal sights. Across to these more northerly monmuns is easier from I nis oilier than those at Wiiakapapa, and

I'm- i ho-e w l i i: cai-s ii s I■> main' i 111 - i.'i'.*a down ija- Wan-.armo-Tokaanu road. I,i:ni o(i’. and get fairly close to the 1 111 1. from which (im ascent can be made. Similarly ior Ilioso relying mi lent-;, ibe cash--t way m to drive as near I im.-e iiorlie.m ' nls a---I>iihl<:■. ramp Lhere ovcr-nighl, In get an early start. The most popular lime inr seeing ihe park is later in the year, when the ice sports are in full swum, hut with good weather at Kaster a journey there would he delightful. A run should then lie made tinough to Tokanmt and the reinrn journey made over a diilerent i'onte. Tokaann is growing in popularity with fishermen every year, and it has heroine the headquarters lor eampers from all over the island. Here one encounters the first sign of thermal activity. and boiling springs and hoi line; mud pools are lo he found in many places. it is, in fact, dangerous to walk too far off the heaten track, ior mm il of the country is merely _ a crust over a boiling sprinr. I'Vnm 'iokaann (o Tanpo is also a, beautiful run, the road skirt inn the shores ol Iho hike for most ol the journey, and providing woiulerfnl glimpses of the mountains, and if you arc luesy, reflections of the inonnlain in the waters of the lakes. Camping spots abound throiign this district, and all along (he shores of the lake there are good spots for camping, from which swimming and fishing can be indulged \ arions routes north and south of Tanpo have been previously described, and whether the motorist will make on to Rotorua or across to Napier depends first on ths length of his holiday ami secondly on the length of his purse. Motorcamping, however, is a very cheap means of sight-seeing, and a mountain tour such as has been described mil cost very little indeed.