Wairakei

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 368, 1 November 1932, Page 8

Wairakei

The one day Wairakei trip commands special attention because of the wide variety of sights included | in the tour. The journey there and 1 back covers 120 miles, but is made 1 under conditions of comfort that ren- | der fatigue impossible. The first | fifteen miles have already been cov- | ered on the Round Trip; thence the I car strikes into the vejy centre of 1 the Thermal Regions, and traverses | country that bears every mark of | frequent and violent volcanic action. 1 Rainbow Mountain derives its name I from the irridescence of colour in | stone and sand that decorates its | slopes, over 100 txnts having been | distinguished. The vicinity of Rain- | bow Mountain is very active, the reg- | ion meriting special notice because 1 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 exteht 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 i Aratiatia cataract, a whirling, foam- 1 ing rush of water which exemplifies 1 not only majesty, but strength. No- | thing can resist a torrent of such 1 magnitude, which the tourist views | in perfect safety from a rock plat- 1 form pitched in the very centre of 1 the rapids, the water crashing and | roaring at his feet. The Huka Falls I have been described as the prettiest i sight in the North Island; the rush | of water along the rock chasm as | it approaches the falls, furnishing a 1 thrilling spectacle. The Waikato I River, perhaps the most ancitmt in I the world, flows through a gorge hol- | lowed out in the 'course of ages to | an actual depth in parts of 150 feet. i Across Lake Taupo on a clear day | the three mountain ranges, snow-cov- I ered and of dazzling whiteness, stand | silhouetted against a background of | deepest blue. The mountains com- | prise the National Park, and include the three famous summits of Tongariro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. The last-named, Ngauruhoe, is in frequent eruption, the cumulous black cloud of smoke standing in sharp contrast to the mantle of snow beneath. The immensity of Lake Taupo can only be appreciated by a visit to its 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 Champagne Pool in violet agitation with 1 intense heat, the Dragon's Mouth, the i Eagle's Nest, Pink Terrace, f.'iry | pools in every hue, and geysers which | play strictly to timetable. The di- 1 versity of sights and experiences on | this trip gives it premier place | among the world's great tourist at- | tractions. £