Wairakei

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 302, 16 August 1932, Page 8

Wairakei

The one day Wairakei trip com- I mands special attention because of | the wide variety of sights included § In the tour. The journey there and | back covers 120 miles, but is made | t under conditions of comfort that ren- j , der fatigue imjlossible. The first [ . | fifteen miles have already been cov- j . I ered on the Round Trip; thence the > car strikes into the very centre of | ' the Thermal Regions, and traverses \ j country that bears every mark of j ; frequent and violent volcanic action. Rainbow Mountain derives its name ; from the irridescence of colour in stone and sand that decorates its slopes, over 100 tints having been ! ■ distinguished. The vicinity of Rain1 bow Mountain is very active, the reg- ' ion meriting special notice because here the earth's crust is perilously j ! weak and thin, scientists contending | . that the earth's internal fires ap- j proach within near distance of the j surface. These conditions prevail | . over the wide extent of the Reporoa | Plains, and although not spectacular, | are potentially dangerous. The first | important sight to be gained as the | car enters the Taupo district is the jj I Aratiatia cataract, a whirling, foam- £ ing rush of water which exemplifies l not only majesty, but strength. No- jj thing can resist a torrent of such jj ! magnitude, which the tourist views | ! in perfect safety from a rock plat- | | form pitched in the very centre of | the rapids, the water crashing and tj roaring at his feet. The Huka Falls \ have been described as the prettiest jf sight in the North Island; the rush | of water along the rock chasm as | it approaches the falls, furnishing a | thrilling spectacle. The Waikato j! River, perhaps the most ancient in ? the world, fiows through a gorge hol- | lowed out in the course of ages to g an actual depth in parts of 150 feet. f Across Lake Taupo on a clear day | the three mountain ranges, snow-cov- | ered and.of dazzling whiteness, stand | silhouetted against a background of f| deepest blue. The mountains com- | prise the National Park, and include a the three famous summits of Tonga- | riro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. The || last-named, Ngauruhoe, is in frequent | eruption, the cumulous black cloud \ of smoke standing in sharp contrast 5; to the rnantle of snow beneath. The | immensity of Lake Taupo can only ^ be appreciated by a visit to its jjj shores. It receives as tributaries the | waters of twenty-six rivers, the Wai- | kato River being the only outlet. f The Geyser Valley contains an im- \ pressive display of thermal activity. \ Included in the sights are Cham- | pagne Pool in violet agitation with | intense heat, the Dragon's Mouth, the | Eagle's Nest, Pink Terrace, fairy jf pools in every hue, and geysers which | play strictly to timetable. The di- S versity of sights and experiences on | this trip gives it premier place h among the world's great tourist at- £ tracti«ns. I