A Cycling Trip to the Hot Lakes.

Manawatu Herald, 30 December 1897, Page 3

A Cycling Trip to the Hot Lakes.

THE WONDERLAND OF THE WORLD.

(Continued.)

AUCKLAND.

Ag our stay in Auckland only lasted a night and day, it would be out of place for me to attempt to adequately do justice ie describing ihat city. What strikes one most when nearing Auckland by train is the beautiful villas or suburban residences, all having their grounds and girdens interspersed with ugly, barren, rugged paddocks of volcanic / rock. Everyone knows that the site of Auckland was at one time a living voloanio country, but only few can imagine what an infernal region the place was like not so many decades ago. Some of the paddocks were {'ust one mass of boulders. The utter were so plentiful that the inhabitants in the suburb?, especially in the direction of Newmarket and Onehunga, have built fenoes witb them, and substantial looking structures they are. Auckland is essentially a show town. The harbour has kaen described as being equal to that of Sydney. The numberless yachts, the small craft, the ferry boats, etc. ■aemed as if their shadows would naver grow less. Auckland was extremely busy last year, chiefly on account of the revival or booms in the goldmining industry. Xmas week was exceptionally busy. All the mines were oiosed down for three weeks and the population of tbe ■mall towns rushed into the city for the holiday season. An estimate of fonr thousand visitors at the holiday season was generally considered a low one. Accommodation was over taxed. We had 'to visit some eight hotels before we oould procure a •* shake-down." The first advice given us on reaching Auckland was ■' Do not miss seeing the view from Mt. Eden." The latter is an extinct volcano and stands about two miles '. from the Post Office. The altitude, ■ome five hundred feet, enables a beautiful view of the oity and its ■ irroundings to be obtained. Auckland, its harbour, parks and other limilar advantages, looked quiet and paaceful enough reposing as it did right in the heart of a volcanic t gion. Some thirteen extinct volcanoes may be counted within a rxdius of so many miles. They were ■apposed not 60 very long ago to be (bing a fairly good business. A good story is told of the Aucklanders and their go-ahead propensities. It ii generally known that a resevoir has been built near the top of Mt. Eden and forms part of tbe water ■apply system. Someone has said that it waa put there in ease Mt. Eden suddenly became active and threatened to destroy the town. In •uch an emergency all tbe Aucklanders would have to do would be to tarn the tapa on and the fire or •ruption would be quelled immediately. To do ample justice to Auckland one must stay at least a couple or three weeks and visit in turn $yme of the pretty places on show. TBS BETUBN, Sighs of regret escaped from most of the party wben they were compelled to turn their backs on Auckland and the wonders of the Hot Lakes District and steer for tb. ir respective quarters. Our party had assumed its original number (five) at Rotorua but at Auokland it had dwindled to three. Our return j >urn. y was via Onehunga and New Plymouth. The least said about tbe f?a trip lhe better, Tha journey

should not have occupied more than twelve hours at the oil teide but that time was exceeded by six bours of tormentation. Our party only fared fairly well. TH_ MOUNTAIN. We had agreed to do Mt. Egmont if it was found practicable and perhaps 1 thay be excused if I dwellrather lodg on tbi3 part of the journey. Here, it may be remarked, the date was the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and ninety seven, A.D. Although feeling e_.tr etnely " seedy " we took our bicycles and rode from the Breakwater into New Plymouth, and onoe again knew what it was to " breakfast." It was ten o'clock befora the bikes Were mouhted for the ride of 18 miles to the Mountain -louse. The journey took 3£ hours hard riding. The house was 2000 feet above the level of the sea, while the last five miles through a bush track was very awkward for a bicycle. This part of the journey took one hour and a half. By the time tbe Mountain House came in view we were in a state of collapse. After a quarter of an hour's rest we started out to do the climb. About a couple of thousand feet above the house we met a party who had been *' out " for some time but had retreated owing to the thickness of the mist and clouds. Oue of our party here cried enough but two of us struggled on and soon found ourselves above the clouds. We eventually reached the top in the g. od time of 2 hours 40 minutes (from the Mountain House.) The view obtained was not of the best with the exception of the New Plymouth side, but that alone was well worth the climb. The thing most enjoyed was the snow wbich was encountered the last couple of thousand feet. The snow also completely enveloped the crater on top of the mountain. The crater is about an acre in extent and is always full of -now but at what depth no one dare estimate. It was rather a new experience to us after our toil in the morning in the heat, dust, and rememberance of New Year's Eve on the " Mahinapua." Several times we went knee deep in the snow. (To be continued.)