FROM MASTERTON TO THE KING COUNTRY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9628, 21 October 1909, Page 3

FROM MASTERTON TO THE KING COUNTRY.

(By "Haunitiro. Lvui Pere.")

I From the day of the completion of j the Main Trunk Railway line I had I been devoured.with an ambition to 8 become a tourist as far as Rotorua, jj and after much meditation I ultimate« I ly decided on the 11th October, 1909, S as the starting day, With the object 8 of viewing the scenes of the King a Country in daylight, in company with I another Mastertonian, we entrain at Masterton by the 3.30 p.m. fast goods, and arrived at Woodville at i fi.2o, and as our train stays here 20 minutes we repair to the refreshment / room and partake ot" a cup of tea and a couple of sandwiches. At 8.0 --time table time—we reach Palmerston, and make this our destination for the night. Nothing of any moment occurred so far as Woodville but immediately we left this station, a fellow passenger made himself known to us and enquired as to our destination for the night, and appealed to us to stay at the same house as himself, as it was an up-to-date place, and the charges were reasonable. We agreed. On entering the bouse we were introduced to the landlady, partook of a meal after ) a game of cards and a smoke, were shown ot our room and accordingly retired. On examining our virtuous couches we began to wonder how our informant could have the effrontery to induce tourists to such a place. This was evidently a forerunner to the future. We tried to rest, but that was impossible. Never before had we slept in such a bedpardon the name. As we wished to catch the 7.10 fast goods, our host knocked at the door at 5.30, and told us it was time to arouse ourselves. There was no need for this timely warning, for we were alI ready up. and thankful we were I too to be out ofjthat "bug-walk." For breakfast we were offered por" ridge without milk, and tea likewise. However, we struggled through as best we could, and got out as quickly as possible. On leaving the dining room we enquired the tariff, and were modestly asked 6s each. Tilings were only middling. After thirty-five minutes' wait at the station the engine's siren sounded, and we were on the road to the j King Country. We reached Marton at 9.7, and made all haste to the re ■ freshment room for a cup of tea—a proper cup of tea—and after 33 minutes' wait we are speeding onward towards Taumaranui, our destination for the night. Tne scenery, along the route is magnificent. Prosperity abounds in profusion, and settlers are everywhere seen plying their calling apparently at peace with all men. The thriving town of Maugawekn is reached at 11.48, and more refreshment was partaken of. Just before entering Mangaweka we pass over the Makoine Viaduct, and windows ate thrown open and passengers rush to the platform to view the wonderful bridge that spans it. Taihapu is reached at 12.35, and as we had half-an-hour's rest here, we enjoyed watching a crate of pigeons —about 40—being liberated for a race back to Palmerston. The birds quitted the cage in great style, atid took to the clouds, and left in a bunch for home. We watched u»m as far i.B we could see. Their was not a straggler, bhortly after leaving Taihape, Mount Ngaruhoe and Mount Tarawera were distinctly visible. The former was emitting a feeble cloud of smoke; but the latttr was covered with a mantle of snow, which was a sight never to be forgotten. For fifty miles we watch these mountains. At Ohakune we purchase for the modest sum of one shilling a compass with a ground plan of the famous spiral of Raurimu. One of the prettiest sights between Masterton and laumaranui is this spiral. At one point we look down j beneath and uee the mouth of a

tunnel and away below lies the township of Raurimu, and we wonder how we are going to ciimb down to the station. We practically pass over the top of the township, then a few minutes later we find we are being, drawn up at the station. At 6.15 depart for Taumaranui, and as it is getting dusk the lights in the carriage are lighted and we bury our faces in a book till 8.15. And we find this train goes no further, so we detrain and rush for lodgings for the night, and it was with feeli»g of unalloyed pleasure that we are shown a scrupulously clean room in which we are to rest for the night. Tau • maranui is just booming along. Last year over a hundred houses were erected, and huge boarding houses that would do justice to a city are - in course of construction. The streets are fairly good, concrete kerbing and Butters being laid down. We had quite a unique experience here, for we had the pleasure of attending a sitting of the court in a private house, and it was interesting, for no court house exists here. The witness box was in a corner, with a piano in front of the witness, the presiding justices were seated at a table, with a huge side board handsomely carved and heavily mirrored immediately behind, whilst the lawyers were seated at a round table, and the clerk of the court had the top of the piano for a desk. Taumaranui has every appearance of becoming a large town in the immediate future. The accommodation

ia positively on a par with any city j hotel, and tourists are catered for in jup-todrate style., and reasonable, too. We retire at 9.30 for the night extremely well satisfied with our day's journey, and we have an uninterrupted sleep till 7.30 a.m. next morning, when the gong aroused us, Up we jump, for we had only one hour to catch our train. After an appetising breakfast we bid farewell to Taumaranui, and board our train" for Ongarue, which is eleven miles distant, and the one sight is the Ongarue river, which runs along the railway line nearly the whole journey. This river is a tributary of the famous New Zealand Rhine. (To be contined).