HOKIO BEACH.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 January 1911, Page 2

HOKIO BEACH.

AS A PLEASURE RESORT. SOMETHING ABOUT MIXED BATHING. Hokio Beach as a pleasure resort is yearly becoming more poplular. It has so many attractions that it appeals to a far wider public than the public of Levin. Within tihe past two years its splendid stretch of beach has attracted the busy man of neighbouring towns, while the citizens of Levin have taken full advantage of its recuperative properties. There is one distinct advantage in reaching the bencib from Levin~or Weraroa. Tho road is an excellent one. for the first six out of tho seven miles that separate the hum of town life from the roar of the surf. To those who cycle to the benolr there are few better ronds till the sand dimes are reached. Tt is here that one beqn'ns to beforeihlv impressed with the serious inroads that tho sand drifts nre causing. Thousands of acres, which with a little foresight miVht have been saved and converted into excellent arable land, are totnllv lost for the purposes of civilisation, and with the offiuxion of fimo a vast, territorv nlono- the West Coast is threatened; with a similar fn.te. The onnstion of n stp.-rdv and continuous lflantinc of lupin trees hns boon systematicallv ndvo-nted bv Mr Field. M.P., nnrl several of the proniine."!. citizens r>f Levin, aided bv the Chronicle. Mnnv -people hovo shown marked, rvmpot.hv with the movement. But time pnss<\s and' little -action bns been tnk/>n. A "roinn" , town. Levin n.nVbt find the Hokio Bench one of its best .is«ets: but +be. widn. spread destruction caused bv the encroachments nf the sand is sc-i----inslv nienneimr the nonuhiritv of iho. fonst. Let a movement be started ni. the e:irh'"st moment for a svsfematic plan! in" , of lupins fin-d , po -snvo for agric'iilf-M-al a , "! Panoses a fvent +ra.ck of nllii-- ;> >l laud. As one dins down a hill°Mo, somo two miles frnni the co , " 1 * 1 . one is rominde-'l of t-bp district l\'in<r some cpyentv miles north of Pretoria. The for-nn +wi of t.hp, hilts brinrr {o one's mind low-U'ino- rictyrp.s around Wnrmbnths nnd Nvlstronm, srive for the v"n Ith «f "f ordure of the* the Hokio bills, and tW absence of rock nnrl ston a .s burned ■ brown bv n f'-ent Ro-ivhb African svn. St'ripnnd of their yovfln.ro. one feels, whe-n he «t*r>s those bills, that h' n is trnnsnbmted io f-,ho land of +he fiprinrrboks. nnd. as he peor.s the s<\i tho sand dunes remind Tn'm of +j|io nnnroach".,! in live Gre.nf-, Knrrn". Anart from the 'unpleaKfinl'iess — if there be nnpleas.'infne.c,s—of the lost mile on foot, ore it enm.npn.snti"". , ? nn-.nit fbe visitor. Before him b'e fhe rollinrr. tnmblinnr waves of the Ronth Pacific, nt the rear r ; s? np in I ■ I 'l their the Tararuas. "lilm spn+.inels tn jrnnrd enf>baiifefl bm'l." What, a splondid fiid diversiHed eonnt.rv intervenes! Wlnt latent possibilities l'p before sucli n well favoured country! A better bench one <x,.itlrl not wish for. and tlie scores of horsemen who can- | tor nloiiT its odcro or feili through j the en'sn. dnncino- waves is a sieht I that exbilavii+es the system and is j better thnn a doctor's' tonic. Hokio. with a littlo attention, must prove of profound importance, to the future develoiiment of Levin. ' It is_ a _ splendid health resort, and I within the Inst ' two years manv whares have been erectecL as well as really first-class modern residences. Families .spend the week there, the busy townsman erects his tent, and as the beach is per- ! fectly safe, hundreds of persons ! daily disport themselves in the surf. j This .season mixed batJiing hns become a popular pastime. Every I week-end paterfamilias, with his family, may be seen plunging in the crisp blue w-aves, and those wtlioso modesty may possibly be shocked: bv this new •leparlure would be greatly reassured on visiting the beach. At Continental .sea resorts mixed bathing, of course, is the accustomed practice, but there are many places in England to-day where the practice is not permitted. At all events at Hokio mixed bathing has, to use a common expression, '[taken on," and every Sunday there is an abundance of fun. To the sportsman Hokio presents strong attractions. Tbero [is a large of fishiiip; for flounders, soles, Kawhai and mullet, and some .splendid catches have been made with net dragging. In the spring whitebait nre plentiful in the Hokio stream, and some exceptionally bier, hauls are made. Line fishing for seihnapper is also largely indulged in. Ducks abound in. the lagoons between the liorowhenua lake and the beach, and some fine sport is provided for the giui man. In another direction the sportsman can turn his attention to rabbits which arc pretty numerous in the locality, and altogether "the man who carries the gun" can find as good sport along the beach as is to be found for miles around. A good many people naturally visit the Hydrabacl that went ashore many years ago now, but tho many places of interest are too numerous to catalogue in this article. On a clear day a fine view of Mount Egnioiit is to be had, while Mount Ilua-peliu stands out m all its solemn, splendour, nnd the South Island, is seen far past Kapiti Jsland. There are residents of Levm who have never visited the beach. Once they have done so, they will visit it again, and as it becomes increasingly . popular with the -public, it will "attract tho retiring city business man to live in the district, and to enjoy the advantages of a magnificent" stretch of coast, and all the pleasures which such a sportsman's country is capable of affording.