A VISIT TO PROFESSOR WRAGGE'S DOMAIN.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 January 1917, Page 2

A VISIT TO PROFESSOR WRAGGE'S DOMAIN.

[by a lover of nature.]

A COUPLE of us having a day to spare, wandering round Auckland sight-seeing and making the most of a short holiday, the question arose as to how best to spend the few hours at our disposal. My companion suggested " Waiata" at Birkenhead as part of our programme, and I agreed that it would be the first and most important item on the list. So that being settled we left Auckland for Birkenhead about 9 a.m. in the Condor, for which we paid 6d each return. The motor car meets every steamer, and it took us near to the Waiata grounds for 3d each. We picked the place by the immense palm leaves showing above the hedge and surrounding growths.

We were met inside the gates by a lady who received us most courteously and who led us to the institute and museum without delay. The lady explained that her husband (Professor Wragge) was away for a short time, and that if agreeable to us she would conduct us through the various departments. Mrs Wragge, I may say, is an Indian lady of charming personality, speaks English fluently, and is an enthusiast in botany, and who soon made us feel at home and interested in the beautiful rooms, filled with choice and rich gold thread work and curios. The paintings and models of famous places are most interesting and instructive. There are rooms filled with curios, and i implements of war and love, collected by Professor Wragge from many parts of the world. After an hour spent in this way, Mrs Wragge conducted us to a nice cool morning room, provided with easy chairs, lounges, etc., and books and periodicals in plenty, but we did not want books —we were too well pleased with Mrs Wragge's conversation.

After a rest here, Professor Wragge entered, and greeted us very kindly, and then conducted us through the palm groves, a feature of which is the banana palm laden with fruit. The giant Abyssinnian banana is a feature of the grounds, with its 3ft broad leaves towering above everything else. I cannot attempt to describe the beautiful grounds, or the institute and museum ; they are all worth a visit, and it is a cool, refreshing change from the heat of Auckland.

Town Boards, Borough Councils and others with an eye to beautifying their surroundings, should not omit a visit to Waiata. We felt that our time was all too short to see and appreciate all that was to be seen. Before leaving Mrs Wragge made us a lovely cup of tea (and it was TEA) and we left feeling that the outstanding feature of Waiata was the courteous and kindly manner in which we had been treated.

The whole cost from Auckland and back was only two shillings each.