Wairakei

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 331, 19 September 1932, Page 8

Wairakei

The one day Wairakei trip com- I mands special attention bscause of I the wide variety of sights included 1 in the tour. The journey there and 1 back covers 120 miles, but is made gj under conditions of comfort that ren- | j der fatigue imjlossible. The first S ! fifteen miles have already been cov- g | ered on the Round Trip; thence the 1 car strikes into the very centre of 1 the Thermal Regions, and traverses 9 country that bears every marlc of h frequent and violent volcanic action. I Rainbow Mountain derives its name j| from the irridescence of colour in stone and sand that decorates its slopes, over 100 tints having been distinguished. The vicinity of Rainbow Mountain is very active, the region meriting special notice because here the earth's crust is perilously weak and thin, scientists contending that the earth's internal fires ap~ proach within near distance of the 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 1 Aratiatia cataract, a whirling, foam- I ing rush of water which exemplifies 1 not only majesty, but strength. Nothing can resist a torrent of such j magnitude, which the tourist views j in perf ect safety from a rock platform pitched in the very centre of j the rapids, the water crashing and j roaring at his feet. The Huka Falls have been described as the prettiest j sight in the North Island; the rush ! of water along the rock chasm as it approaches the falls, furnishing a j thrilling spectacle. The Waikato j River, perhaps the most ancient in ! the world, flows through a gorge hol- j lowed out in the course of ages to I an actual depth in parts of 150 feet. Across Lake Taupo on a clear day \ the three mountain ranges, snow-cov- | ered and of dazzling whiteness, stand j| silhouetted against a background of 1 deepest blue. The mountains com- | prise the National Park, and include | the three famous summits of Tonga- I riro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. The | last-named, Ngauruhoe, is in frequent 1 eruption, the cumulous black cloud f of smoke standing in sharp contrast ^ to the mantle of snow beneath. The 'f immensity of Lake Taupo can only | be appreeiated by a visit to its h shores. It receives as tributaries the | waters of twenty-six rivers, the Wai- 1 lcato River being the only outlet. I The Geyser Valley contains an im- | pressive dlsplay of thermal activity. Included in the sights are Cham- i pagne Pool in violet agitation with 1 intense heat, the Dragon's Mouth, the g Eagle's Nest, Pink Terrace, fairy || pools in every hue, and geysers which | play strictly to timetable. The di- | versity of sights and experiences on jj this trip gives it premier place 3 among the world's great tourist at- j tractions. |