Wairakei

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 337, 26 September 1932, Page 8

Wairakei

The one day Wairakei trip com- 11 mands special attention because of u the wide variety of sights included H in the tour. The journey there and 1 back covers 120 miles, but is made gg j under conditions of comfort that ren- | der fatigue impossible. The first ' | fifteen miles have already been cov- 1 j ered on the Round Trip; thence the | ; car strikes into the very centre of | J the Thermal Regions, and traverses j| ' country that bears every mark of n frequent and violent volcanic action. j| • Rainbow Mountain derives its name | from the irridescence of colour in fg stone and sand that decorates its H 1 slopes, over 100 tints having been sj distinguished. The vicihity of Rain- n bow Mountain is very active, the reg- g ion meriting special notice because h here the earth's crust is perilously n weak and thin, scientists contending re that the earth's internal fires ap- |j proach within near distance of the £g surface. These conditions prevail gj over the wide extent of the Reporoa' g Plains, and although not spectacular, | are potentially dangerous. The first | important sight to be gained as the j| car enters the Taupo district is the g Aratiatia cataract, a whirling, foam- fj ing rush of water which exemplifies |j not only majesty, but strength. No- j| thing can resist a torrent of such j| magnitude, which the tourist views g in perfect safety from a rock plat- g form pitched in the very centre of the rapids, the water crashing and roaring at his feet. The Huka Falls have been described as the prettiest sight in the North Island; the rush of water along the rock chasm as it approaches the falls, furnishing a thrilling spectacle. The Waikato River, perhaps the most ancient in | the world, flows through a gorge hol- | lowed out in the Course of ages to | an actual depth in parts of 150 feet. 11 Across Lake Taupo on a clear day j| the three mountain ranges, snow-cov- g ered and of dazzling whiteness, stand j| silhouetted against a background of jg deepest blue. The mountains com- g prise the National Park, and include 1 the three famous summits of Tonga- j| riro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. The g last-named, Ngauruhoe, is in frequent § eruption, the cumulous black cloud of smoke standing in sharp contrast I to the mantle of snow beneath. The j immensity of Lake Taupo can only ! be appreciated by a visit to its j shores. It receives as tributaries the waters of twenty-six rivers, the Waikato River being the only outlet. The Geyser Valley contains an impressive display of thermal activity. | Included in the sights are Cham- | pagne Pool in violet agitation with | j intense heat, the Dragon's Mouth, the § I Eagle's Nest, Pink Terrace, fairy 1 I pools in every hue, and geysers which j play strictly to timetable. The di- ! I versity of sights and experiences on j this trip gives it premier place j among the world's great tourist at- j tractions.