“The thermal regions of New Zealand,” stated Professor F. Schaffer, a distinguished scientist of Vienna, “eclipse those of Yellowstone Park.” Nowhere, perhaps, is the thermal phenomena of our country more impressive than at Tikitere (near Rotorua), the interesting story of which is told by Mr. James Cowan in the following article.

It is a curiously fascinating place in spite of (or perhaps because of) its almost repulsive features, this unbeautiful scar on the face of our Rotorua wonderland that is called Tikitere by the Maoris, and a variety of Dantesque names by pakeha visitors. In atmosphere as in appearance it is a slice of the material Hades. Boiling water and boiling mud of grey and brown and black, and of ferocious wickedness, hot streams, sulphur bridges over horrible spluttering pits, sulphur caves, and a lost-and-damned character altogether. No beauteous geysers here; no pure sparkling fountains arched by rainbows. But it draws those who know it to come again and again.