TAURANGA AS A HEALTH RESORT.

Waikato Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1050, 17 September 1901, Page 4

TAURANGA AS A HEALTH RESORT.

Aa the summer approaches, people naturally think whore they would like to spend their holidays, and they run over in their minds the usual places of seaside resort ; North Shote, Lake Takapuua, Waikato Heads, and Raglan all pass under their mental review, and are prononneed wanting ‘This place is too expensive,’ paterfamilias remarks, and ‘ That place is too far away,’ materfamilias echoes, and so the poor children pine away for want of the natural tonic of sea breezes and bathing. But at last a kind friend tells them of Tauranga. The ‘ Clansman,’ a well-known boat guaranteed 1 not tp roll,’ leaves Auckland at 7 p.m., and at (j the next morning a bustle is heard and we are told we are nearing Tauranga, and we hasten on denk just as we pass the ‘Mount.’ It is not a bar harbour as some think, but a splendid open channel through which large vessels can come. This inner harbour is most lovely, and stretches for 30 miles, as far as Kati Kati and Bowen Town, and is splendid for boating and yachting, as it is sheltered hy long, low sand hanks on the ocean side, and the land on the other. Fish abound in this inner harbour, and, strolling down the ‘Strand’ at full tide you see the fishermen hauling in thousands of fish, and with a silver hook you can home laden with this useful edible, and in half an hour the fish is transferred from the briny to your tea table, and I can truthfully aver it tastes epuite different to the stale-looking stuff which the Cambmlge and Hamilton people fancy is fish. There are beautiful drives in every direction, and coaches and buggies can be hired at a very cheap rate. Many historical places are within reach, as the district was at one time a centre of the Maori fighting. A few miles out is Gate Pah, where the notable battle was fought. Te Puke, a rich farming district, and likely to develop into a large mining centre, is another near place well worth a visit from farmers and likely speculators. Fruit, and vegetables grow in profusion and there is a weekly sale where dairy produce can be bought very reasonably. This is an advantage to visitors who take furnished houses or camp out. There are three good hotels where accommodation is to be had at a reasonable rate. There is a Magazine Club, two libraries and reading room and the Auckland papers come through every day by steamer or coach via Waihi or Rotorua. It is a pleasant drive from Waihi to Tauranga and a very interesting one from Rotorua where the road is through the bush and is well worth seeing. Amateur photographers and artists would find it very pretty, and lovers of swimming have a splendid bathing place fenced in, with large dressing rooms att idled. Materfamilias says the beach is simply lovely and Paterfamilias says he’has saved pounds in doctor*.’ bills. There ara lour churches, and people who are used to church going need not think they will he neglected in Tauranga as their spiritual needs are looked after as well as their temporal. Lovers of bowls and tennis have opportunities of practicing, as in the summer these two games flourish and where the youth and beauty of the place are found disporting themselves.

This is not, a paid advertisement, but an honest enumeration of the beauties of a place very little knoVvn to Waikato people, by one who lias travelled the whole of New Zealand and a great part of Australia, and has not seen a place for beauty and convenience to equal Tuuranga as u summer resort.--I am, etc., A Traveller.