FROM GISBORNE TO WAIROA.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 116, 27 May 1901, Page 3

FROM GISBORNE TO WAIROA.

(Times Travelling Correspondent.) ■\Ve stopped for a few minutes at the junction of the roads, whore Mr J. K. * Morgan was building an acconmiodationJjouse. The first few miles of our road to \ tl, o Springs lay through some very pretty bush, though not of any great extent for advancing settlement is fast causing the hush to disappear. Ten years ago to get from Wharerata to the Morere one had to follow a narrow and difficult track through a dense hush, and repeatedly stop to cut away the supplejack which obstructed the path. Hut to-day all this is changed, the charred remains of the giants alone denoting the former extent of bush. Messrs Jiuyly, Trillion! and I’roudlocl; will this and next season be falling the last of the bush on the road side. The property adjoining Mr Trall'ord’s on the .Morere road as previously mentioned, lias recently been acquired by Air (.;. Kasterbrook from Mr Moieswoith. It consists of 1500 acres of good bush land, ami is a good property. The road being soft and slippery our rate of progress was necessarily slow, and for some miles we were unable to put tiie horses out of a walk. The drizzling rain wldeii fell at intervals did not tend lo improve matters. We stopped for a few minutes at Mr Swarbrick’s house, and also at the residence of Mr A. I’roudlocffi The latter has a very line holding of 2000 acres, 000 of which are freehold and the remainder leasehold from the Auckland School Commissioners. The adjoining property is hold by Mr T. Mclntyre, who has recently made great improvements in the matter of buildings, it was well on towards one o'clock when we reached Mr J. Reynolds’ homestead, and we were glad to accept that gentleman's hospitality for lunch. A good view of the house and pretty garden is to be obtained from the road, and travellers cannot fail to be impressed with both. Although late in the season, the "ardun presented a gay appearance, there being an abundance of carnations, roses, cosmos, and other Mowers. Mr Reynolds place was certainly one of the most homely and prettily situated that we saw in our travels round the district, and it is a pity tlmtotherscttlers do not follow his example in the matter of making their grounds more attractive. Between Mr Reynolds’ and Morere there are several line properties, including Mr A. Anderson’s 500 acres, J. Carswell 25!). I). Shaw 1000 acres, S,loan HSO acres, and T. E. Taylor 000 acres. , The properties mentioned are in the ; Watron County, and that body appears to , have been as negligcntas the Cook County ; Council in the matter of the maintenance | of the new roads to the Springs. Wo | passed through several places where the | mud was well nigh up to the axle, and we were warned by horsemen who met us of i two or three liad spots which we hud to ] negotiate before reaching the Springs. There was one in particular, “ The 1 levilA- ; Elbow,” where quite a number of vehicles , had come to a standstill, that wo were told to look out for but wo unwisely made : light of the warning. When just opposite the Morere .Cost-office, on a slightly downward grade, our buggy went axle 1 deep in mud, and the body of the trap ; being also in the slush, we found ourselves “ stuck up ” for the first time. My , friend tried to get the team going with a few kind words, but finding this of no avail, he milled the iutluoneo of the whip. Tiie horses several times endeavored to go forward, but the Imggy lmd gone so deeply into the mud that they could not move it. , The last effort to get them going again ended in part of the harness being sovered, and as one of tiie steeds was showing an inclination to lie down in the mud, wc ’ decided to take them out. This was no easy job. for wlien .vo ourselves got out of the trap wo went nearly up to our waists in mud. Messrs T. 13. Taylor, J. Cooper, and several other settlers came to our assistance, and after wo had succeeded in getting tiie horses out wo set our attention to the trap. With one man at each wheel and one at tiie pole wo at length got tiie vehicle to the side of the road, and after carrying and dragging it a distance of about eighty to a hundred yards we were able to iigain yoke up and drive to the hotel in style. A hot bath at tiie fnflious Morere Springs and a change of clothing caused us for a time to forget our experiences in tiie mud, although members of the Wairoa County Council would have been in for a pretty warm live minutes if we had come in contact with them. After driving over other roads of the Wairoa County Council, l came to the conclusion that the last two or three miles of the road to the Springs was quite an exception to tire general run of roads under tiie supervision of that body. The road from Wairoa. which we travelled on the following day, was in Airly good order, as was also the main Wairoa-Cis-bornc road, via Tiuiroto. as far as the Council’s boundary. -

THE MIU'.KUE HOT SIHtIXUS. The Mororc Hot Springs is a charming place to spend a holiday, and vis! rs can rely upon obtaining excellent ace .mmodation at the hotel, which is. splendidly managed by Mr and Mrs J. S. Cooper. The hotel contains fourteen rooms for the use of the public, and is seldom crowded except at the height of the tourist season. It is situated on a flat which is more than half surrounded by liilis. V pretty creek runs past the hotel, whilst the hills rise on either side to the height of about 500 feet. At a short distance from the hotel, a winding path through a pretty piece of bush leads one to the baths. As you cuter the bush, there is a grove of puugas, with a very beautiful undergrowth of native shrubs. The n.-tive trees common

to New Zealand m-h are to bo soeu in great profusion. As you get fairly iuto the bush one is struck with the great variety of ferns which are to be seen on both sides of the avenue. The creek which runs down from the baths is literally overgrown with ferns and native shrubs, and some splendid specimens of the nikau palm are to be seen at intervals along the pathway, lie fore reaching the baths you cross a suspension bridge, ten or liftccn yards long. Viewed from a distance, the baths give one the impression of a dilapidated lean-to, but on closer inspection one’s mind is disabused of this idea by the magnificent growth of ferns and foliage which surround the shed. The baths are situated at of a cliff. something over 200 ft in height, rising almost perpendicular, whilst on the right there is a fine stream of cold water coming from the bush at the back. There arc three baths, the water in each being of different temperature, and ranging from eight to one hundred and ten degrees. The waters arc highly spoken of, and many residents who have tried them for different complaints inform me that they have been entirely cured. (To be continued.)