KUMARA TO ROTORUA HOT SPRINGS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2880, 21 January 1886, Page 2

KUMARA TO ROTORUA HOT SPRINGS.

[By a Correspondent.] Rotorua, January 12, We left Kumara on Boxing Day in order to catch the Koranui, which was advertised to sail that evening; but as there was a heavy swell on the the bar, and only 12ft. 6in. of water, we were bar bound, the Koranui drawing 12ft. aft. On Monday, at 3 p.m., we made a start, and, after bumping twice, got safely over. Whilst laying at the Grey wharf I made the acquaintance of a very locquacious passenger, a professor of music (Professor Von something or other) who travelled much by water and never was sea-sick, his great antidote being brandy and port wine. Although he made several trips to the stewards’ pantry, he never asked me to have a drink, and I fancy he got tired waiting for me to do the amiable. About two hours after crossing the bar I was sitting in the social hall when I saw my friend coming up the saloon stairs with firmly compressed lips, and eyes sticking out of his head like a boiled lobster. I could not resist the temptation for a joke, so I tried to stop him to have a drink, but he rushed past, and presently we could hear sounds as if someone was trying to pomp his boots up out of bis stomach. With a bland smile he entered the hall, but traces of tears were left on his cheek. Oh it was “not sea-sickness” was the matter with him ! some “ bad fruit” he had been eating. Nothing like brandy and port wine to keep away squearaishness. I was not on just then to shout. We arrived in Nelson the following day, at 2 p.m.— twenty-throe hours sail, and left again at 3 p ra. for Wellington, staying only one hour at the port. Twelve hours more brought ns alongside of Welling, ton wharf, and as there was no boat for Auckland for four days, we took up our quarters at Orr and Son’s City Buffet. For comfort, cleanliness, and every convenience, combined with cheapness, I can recommend the City Buffet. After breakfast wo jumned into a. tram car- and rode three miles for threepence, out to Newton to see our old friend Bob Morgan, who I am SO'ry to sa}' has been ailing a long time and looks very bad indeed. The New Year was ushered iu at Wel-

lington with a torch-light procession of 'he FireJßrigade, and the usual display of fireworks. Getting up in the morning J°u were reminded everywhere along the streets that it was 1886 by chalk-marks on the shutters and on the [lavements, Wellington affords great facilities for holiday makings bands of music, with processions of people with flags, were continually passing, some going by tram, some by steamer, and others on foot to the neighbouring farms ; while coaches and busses were loaded with private picnic parties. The great centre of attraction, however, was the Caledonian sports at the Basin reserve. These grounds are the best I have seen for sports. About four acres are enclosed with a fence, and all around is planted with fir, wattle, and blue gum trees. On two sides there is a gentle grassy slope about 20ft. high, while the circle where the winning is contested is about 600 yards. The. centre of the circle is roped for heats into seven tracks so that there is no jostling; every one has his own running. There is no need for the stewards, or the bobbies to keep the ring clear, every body can sit down on the grassy slopes during an event, and walk round the promenade in the intervals. According to the Wellington papers about seven thousand visited the grounds.

Having done the usual sights:—the Pailiament Houses, Governors residence, Museum and Botanical Gardens, we visited the Albion Company’s large steamer, the Tainni, 5200 tons register. This is the largest steamer I have ever seen ; she is a regular model. At 1 a.m, the Penguin took the San Francisco mail aboard to catch the American mail-boat Alameda, at Auckland, doing the distance to New Plymouth, (Taranaki) in 14 hours. We had no lime to go up to the town, so we amused ourselves inspecting the bieak-water, which is built of concrete blocks weighing about eight or ten tons. Eleven hours sail brought us to Manukau Heads ; crossing the bar at six o’clock in the morning we had a splendid sail up the harbour, 18 miles, as smooth as glass, a strong tide with ns doing the 18 miles in eighty minutes. Prom Onehnnga we take train across to Auckland, nine miles for nine pence. Auckland J glorious climate! cheap fruit! strawberries, 3d per pint; cherries, 4d per quart ; abundance of fish ! Fruit marts and grocers all sell (home-made) hop beer, for 2d a pint bottle. Queen street is a wonderful thoroughfare, streams of people walking up and down. Auckland is ten years behind Dunedin for fine buildings; but there is more private enterprise here than in Wellington. Take the Government and the insurance offices out of Wellington, and it will oil apse; there is a whole army of Government hangers-on and insurance and bank clerks in it. Like the other large cities, the Auckland people are very dressy. But the ladies here have a fashion of their own, (a very nice one) of wearing short dresses. Of course you meet some with long ones • but you know at once what is the matter—big feet or badly-formed understandings. You can run auywhere and everywhere here in the trams or busses for threepence; the suburbs beingdelightful retreats for the business and wealthier people of the town. Mount Eden lies about two or three miles behind the town. On reaching the top by a good road the first thing you see is a large extinct crater. I suppose it will be 200 ft. across, and 160 ft. deep, and is covered with grass and fern and strewn with loose scoria fragments. The view from the top is somethin" wonderful. On the one side is the harbour of Manukau and on the other is the Auckland harbour. Yon fancy you could throw a stone into the sea on the east and west coasts. Underneath lays Auckland with it beautiful suburbs. Across the harbour is the North Shore, with numerous little steamers plying backwards and forwards. I u the distance is Kawau, Sir George Grey’s island home; and turning round you look away towards the Thames, and Waikato. The fields underneath on the Onehnnga side are very pretty, the walls or fences being built by the scoria, thrown out by Mt. Eden when it was an active volcano. All the highly-coloured pictures of Naples, or enchanting panoramic views I have seen dwindle into insignificance compared with the view from here. It wants the pen of Sala, or “ The Vagabond ” to describe, and even then you would have an imperfect idea of its beauty; it is indescribable; in fact you will have to come and see for yourself. Auckland has its parks and museum, and the finest public reading room and library in New Zealand! There are thousands of volumes ranged all round the hall, and sitting accommodation (or two hundred.

Comparing the four largest towns of

New Zealand, Dunedin stands tar ahead in fine buildings and bnnnie lassies; Christchurch has the grandest park, and certainly the best museum in all the colonies; Wellington takes the palm for wind, dust, and Government loafers; Auckland a delightful climate, and beautiful suburbs. From Auckland there are two routes to the Lake country, viz., by railway to Cambridge, and then coach to Rotorua ; the other by steamer to Tauranga, and coach to Rotorua. We take the latter because it is a great deal cheaper. The boat sails at 7 p.m. now, for the land of hot springs, boiling mud holes, geysers, and fumaroles. [To be continued.]