To Arapuni

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 308, 20 March 1928, Page 6

To Arapuni

What to See There and How to Proceed Arapuni is the wonder spot of the North Island and the Mecca of motorists at the present time, but unfortunately when the private car goes there is no way of ascertaining what to see or how to proceed. In fact, many suffer the long trip and return without seeing much at all. The best route is from Cambridge, from which it is distant about 22 miles. Good signijosting will direct the motorist right to Arapuni, but there the signposting ends. The last one says: “To the Gorge.” The road is forked, and that to the left leads along to the township. The motorist, should, however, proceed down the road to the right, cross the bridge at the bottom, and keep up the hill (the road to the left along the gorge is closed to traffic). Half way up the hill a huge suspension bridge crosses the gorge. This is closed to thoroughfade, but visitors can walk on to it and look down at the site of the power station. Leave the car here for a moment

and clamber up the steps to the transformer station under construction. In the valley will be seen the spillway, the water from which runs down a narrow gully below. Two or three hundred yards along this gully a good broad track leads to a magnificent view of the falls which have been formed by the water. Below is the prehistoric forest which has been uncovered.

Returning to the car, the road further up the gorge should be followed for another few hundred yards to the darn, which until now has been out of sight. There is good parking here, also hot water and refreshments.

The total distance from Auckland is 116 miles, and many drivers have done the trip in a day. A favourite way is to go as far as Cambridge on the Saturday and leave there early Sunday morning, returning to Auckland on Sunday afternoon and evening.

The road between Hamilton, Cambridge and Arapuni is in really good order, and no one need hesitate in undertaking the trip.