ARANUI CAVE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 336, 11 February 1911, Page 5

ARANUI CAVE.

A NEW DISCOVERY. HON. T. MACKENIE AT WAII TO MO. Yesterday afternoon the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie. M.P., Minister in Onarge of the Tourist Department, formally ouened and inspected the ; recently discovered limestone cave j situated near Wnitomo. It was in j November last that the "King Country Chronicle" was able to announce I that a new cave of remarkable character had been discovered by a Maori, and since then public curiosity has been excited as to the precise character of the new find. The party acompanying the Minister included the member for Taurrarunui (Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P.), the Hon. C. Luke, M.L.C., Mr B. M. Wilson, Director of the Tourist Department, Mr L. Birks, Engineer in Charge of Rotorua and Waitomo districts, Mr and Mrs J. Dunlop (Scottish Agricultural Commissioner), Misses Mackenize, Mrs and Miss Turner, Mr J. Scholes (Chairman of Waitomo County ouncil), Councillor Johnston and Mr L. E. Johnson, private secretary to the Minister. The party reached Hangatiki station about 11.20 a.m. and were conveyed to Waitomo Caves House in coaches. The dry weather was reflected in the very dusty character of the drive. Lunch was taken at the house, and the whole party, which would number between 30 and 40 in all, then travelled in coaches to the ' site of the new discovery. The cave lies about two miles from the accom- ' modation house, going towards the Ruakuri Caves, and is approached by ' leaving the vehicles at the two-mile peg and taking down the gentle slope to the Waitomo river. After crossing the primitive bridge hurriedly erected to accommodate the visitors the bushcovered hill is climbed for a few hundred yards, and the great rock entrance to the cave is approached. Here the party were photographed and then Mr Mackenize addressed the gathering. It was personally gratifying to him, he said, to find such an assembly gathered to witness the opening of that, what would prove to be, historic cave. It had been discovered by Ruruku Aranui, ably assisted by Mr Challis. The cave was nearly a quarter of a mile long, and opened into two chambers. ft was 80 feet above the Waitomo river and would compare with anything else of a like character elsewhere. However, he was not going to describe what they would shortly judge for themselves, but he would like to say a word in connection with the Tourist Department. That was a department for enabling the people of New Zealand to see the beauty spots of the Dominion. For a time it had lost money but they had recently lessened the expense of working it, and had made arrangements for giving it a revenue. Tickets were being issued, and tourists could get them, which enabled them to plan their own routes of travel. In one office alone over 3000 of these tickets had been sold. The department was doing all it could to point out the beauty spots of New Zealand, but even Parliament itself was not alive to the necessity of this as much as it should be. The Bill for the preservation of the Wanganui river scenery was only carried by four votes. New Zealand was unique in possessing so much beautiful scenery. In the north it had the thermal regions: in the south they had the glaciers. The North Island would become the sanatorium of the southern hemisphere and Australians would have to come to New Zealand for wives, to get vigorous womanhood to perpetuate the acre. In naming the cave he proposed to follow a wellknown geographical precedent, by naming it after the person who discovered it. It had been suggested that the name of the hill in which the cave w*9 would be appropriate. The hill was called "Ngutuhihi," meaning "the beak of the hihi bird." The shape of the hill was like the beak of the hihi. He thought the discoverer should be perpetuated, and he had much pleasure in naming the cave "Aranui." Miss Mackenize, a daughter of the Minister, then broke a bottle of champagne over the entrance, christening the cave "Aranui" Ruruku Aranui, the Maori discoverer, then briefly responded. He felt honoured that the cave should be named after him. He appreciated the honour the Minister had expressed in being present to open it, and he hoped the cave would be appreciated by many visitors in the future. Mr Challis, manager of Waitomo Caves House, briefly invited all present to explore the caves. Mr W. T. Jennings, M.P., who was asked to say a few words, said he was just as much gratified as anyone at the opening of the cave. The department had a difficulty in regard to the preservation of scenery. Probably the utilitarian appealed to most people, but the tendency was a strong one to preserve the beautiful scenery that did exist in his own native land of New Zealand. He had been in every part of the Dominion and the more he saw the more he viewed the great possibilities of the future. He congratulated their Maori friend in being the discoverer of the cave, and he hoped he and his native friends would show their • appreciation of the discovery. He thanked the Minister for coming from Wellington to declare the cave open, ' ! and expressed the hope that it would -' return an enhanced revenue to the department, i The party then entered the mouth , of the cave. With the exception of t one short stretch and two points at ; the extreme end of the chambers, - the whole transit of the cave may ' be effected in an upright position. ; The interior presents a spectacle in f it.; general character resembling all i other' limestone caves. Where it r differs from the Waitomo caves is , in its immense size and the com- ; pleteness of the stalagmites and ulaluotites which adorn its interior,