Wairakei

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 356, 18 October 1932, Page 8

Wairakei

The one day Wairakei trip commands speeial attention bscause , Of the wide variety of sights included in the tour. The journey there and back covers 120 miles, but is made under conditions of comfort'that ren- gj der fatigue impossible. The first § fifteen miles have already been eov- g ered on the Round Trip; thence the |j car strikes into the very centre of j| the Thermal Regions, and traverses g country that bears every mark of jg frequent and violent volcanic action. gj Rainbow Mountain derives its name j| from the irridescence of eolour in g stone and sand that decorates its || slopes, over 100 tints having been jg .distinguished. The vicinity of Rain- gj bow Mountain is very active, the reg- P ion meriting speeial notice because jg here the earth's crust is perilously jg weak and thin, scientists contending |j that the earth's internal fires ap- |j proach within near distance of the gj surfaee. These conditions prevail 11 over the wide extent of the Reporoa j| Plains, and although not spectacular, i are potentially dangerous. The first g important sight to be gained as the gj ear enters the Taupo district is the jg Aratiatia cataract, a whirling, foam- g ing rush of water which exemplifies gj not only majesty, but strength. Nothing can resist a torrent of such magnitude, which the tourist views in perfect safety from a rock platf orm pitched in the very centre of the rapids, the water crashing and roaring at his feet. The Huka Falls gj haVe been described as the prettiest g sight in the North Island; the rush I of water along the rock chasm as g it approaches the falls, furnishing a g thrilling spectacle. The Waikato ra 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. I Across Lake Taupo on a clear day I the three mountain ranges, snow-cov- 1 ered and of dazzling whiteness, stand | silhouetted against a background of § deepest blue. The mountains com- gj prise the National Park, and include gj the three famous summits of Tonga- jj riro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. The 1 last-named, Ngauruhoe, is in frequent jj eruption, the cumulous black cloud g of smolce standing in sharp contrast 1 to the mantle of snow beneath. The | immensity of Lake Taupo can only j| be appreciated by a visit to its j| shores. It receives as tributaries the jg i waters of - twenty-six rivers, the Wai- gj I kato River being the only outlet. gj j The Geyser Valley contains an im- i I pressive display of thermal activity. |j j Included in the sights are Cham- |j ! pagne Pool in violet agitation with i j intense heat, the Dragon's Mouth, the I i Eagle's Nest, Pink Terrace, fairy I pools in every hue, and geysers which i play strictly to timetable. The di- gj versity of sights and experiences on 1 this trip gives it premier place | among the world's great tourist at- ij j tractions. ra