THE ROTOMAHANA DISTRICT.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 737, 8 March 1877, Page 3

THE ROTOMAHANA DISTRICT.

The ' New Zealand Gazette ' t os the 27th ult contains a' proclamation, revoking the proclamation of the* 15th,; September, 1874, which proclamai tion prohibited private parties frdrn dealing with lands, 'm •, the Bay of Plenty and Taupo districts, from Otanew^tiuaka ,tp) ithe . 'boundary 6fj Hawke's Bay, and inland, to Ruapehu. The revocation throws open toi'priyate par-tiea the^wjiple of the landa of the Arawa's,'- including the. Rotorua and TaraweraO; i districts. « The Government purchases m this district have not ! Meir cdmpletedj but we ('Herald']' presume •. that they will be finished up. There has been all along ageneralfeeling.thatthe Government should acquire the Hot Springs, or at least the principal of them. Payments" have, we believe, been made npon the blocks inclading the "White and Pinkiterraces-at Rotoinahana, which will secure' them from being acquired -by private parties. As to the JRotorua Springs, we are not aw&re m: what, position they are m, but we donot ; think4he Government have made ;any attempt* to buy them. They will probably, where the native^. "p?irt with them, fall into, the hands of owners _of hotels, who will make them serviceable to. travellers ; . ancl as : they^undoubtedly possess useful medicirial qualities, yaried almost j,with almost every separate spring, they will soon become famous. There i^ not much of picturesque beauty of situation about the Rotorua Springs^- to induce the pui chase of them as ■■ apublic estate. The wonderful geyser at Whakarewarewa,' and tha terraces at R,otomahana, are,, ho wQVer, m a very different position. They ought, if. possible, to be scoured as part of the wonders of a national park ordomain> which must m many respecjbs surpass every other district m the world, and m magnitude of wonders could only be beaten by the Yosemite Valley m America. l Our natural museum of wonders m the North Island, with Tarawera as a centre, would be an object of, attraction to : all Australians, and wouid draw. many trar' vellersfrom ; Europe. Within: this park we might realise our ideas of what Paradise was like, and have besides many wonders and means of pleasure which we have not been m the habit of considering to have existed m Eden. We should have the most bewitching lakes m the world/ varied m colour,' embosomed ""' amongst hills, with stretches of park-like country, with clumps of bush. There has been a good deal said about securing this land. A resolution was passed m the House that it should be purchased, and the Government pledged themselves to do it. We hope, therefore, this has not been forgotten.