A Cycling Trip to the Hot Lakes.

Manawatu Herald, 4 January 1898, Page 2

A Cycling Trip to the Hot Lakes.

THE WONDERLAND OF THE WORLD. (Concluded.) THE HIGHEST PEAK. One of the best sensations experienced was that of reaching the highest peak of all. To do this we had to cross the snow crater. The snow was crusted with ice (wedding cake was nothing to it) and when the weight of the body was put upon it, it would crumble, break, and roll 1 --n the incline like bo many stones >' , ttte *-°P stepg|

The ice arid snow was exceptionally clear and seemed all colours, as the light of the sun was softened after piercing the cloud. It also reemed a novel experience brandishing about icycles 5 feet in length while our friends at homo, etc. were complaining about the intense heat. After a stay of twenty minutes wo commenced the down trip and were not sorry as we began to feel the cold minutely while the fine air coupled wilh a liberal supply of claret began to affect our •■• top Btorie3." Perhaps there is very little fun attached to mountain climbing, and the question i 3 often asked why will ladies and gents graft all they know for a mere nothing or just to be able to say that they have been to so and so. The merits and demerits of mountain climbing cannot be entered into here, but would say that after all there is real fun attached to the climb. Perhaps the best enjoyed by us was setting huge boulders rolling down the mountain's side. BOULDER BOLIJNG. It may not be generally known that the rocks of which the mountain was " elevated " are cracked and seamed througtf and through and owing to vibration or other causes they get loosened.. In some casesit requires a good push to set them in motion. 'At first they roll lazily along, then quicken into d run, which in turn gives way to> a trot quickly followed by a canter and a gallop, until they force themselves into hugh leaps and bounds. They travel so quickly that it seems but a few seconds before they disappear in the shape and size of an india rubber ball dancingly along over what may be called the horizon of the mountain. Although out of sight they continue their course, as they could be distinctly heard crashing their way down into the gorges and ravines at the base of the mountain. The' flight cf these boulders have to be eeen to be appreciated. As an illustration to convey a little idea to the mind of the readers of this paper I would give the following : —A big fat baby boy was crawling about the landing of a staircase when an idea entered into his diinunitivo brain that lie would like to prospect ori the ground floor. Just watch him as he goes down, very slowiy the first oouple of step 3, then a little pace the next couple of steps, then two steps at a time and so on until he comes shooting out from the bottom of the stairs all Ih9 world like a rubber ball. Then there is a little more bawl. To return however to the trip down. We arrived safely at the house within an hour. A small reception was given us by the parties (somo twenty people) who were camping at the house for the holidays. The reception was all the more readily given owing to the fact that we were the fit's t party to gain the top this season." The fact must have been a bit galling to the party at the house, especially as they hid three or four dayato accomplish the climb. The parly, however, did not^ feel at all put out with their ill-sue-" cess ; they gave us a hearty tea and offered lo share their blankets with U3. • j INGLEWOOD. • We decided to gain Inglewood that night it possible, and at a quarter to eight we set out. It was a quarter to nine before the bush track was left behind us, and was fully ten when we arrived at Inglewood thoroughly tired out, chiefly owing to the if act of having had no sleep the previous night. The day's undertaking, however, was none too little, and the party will long remember it. ; CONCLUSION. It must be remembered, in conclusion, that the whole of our journey was completed in eight 'days, and when the distance is taken int,6 consideration surprise must not be expressed when I say that all the famous places en route such as the Wai-o-tapu Valley, Tikitiri, Alumn Caves, thel Arateatea Rapids, and Lakes Roto-iti and Rotomahana, etc., were not visited, but I must say that what we saw was sufficient to satisfy us that New Ze&laßd possessed wonders of wonders. Furtn/rmore we agreed that the majority of New Zealanders barely knew the country in which they lived. We are also\satisfied that we could not possibly I^ave crowded any more sight-seeing, e?&y within our limited time. Every morn-" ing we were up with the lark, but it cannot be said that we honoured that bird by retiring to 'bye-bye' at the same hour. As a final word the readers of this essay are requested to be " To its faults ever blind, To its virtues ever kind."