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Taranaki's attractions

By “Egmont”

To-Day, New Plymouth, the capital of North Taranaki and the whole province, has a population that borders on 20,000. This town has a fine harbour, which, although artificial, is nevertheless a venue of the largest cargo vessels coming to the Dominion. The chief industry of the province is dairying and while sheep-farming is carried on in a small way, the damp conditions are not conductive to success in this direction. New Plymouth has doubtless been put on the map by her now well-established aerodrome at Bellblock, five miles to the East of the township. Should a permanent airmail service between the Commonwealth and New Zealand be inaugurated, New Plymouth will in all probability become a terminal point for the trans-Tasman fliers. This statement is borne out by the flights of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith and the late Mr. C. T. P. Ulm, who both made several flights over the Tasman to make New Plymouth their landing-ground. Extensions and renovations are always being executed at the airport and in a few years it should be one of the finest, if not the finest, 'drome in the Dominion.

Mt. Egmont (8,260 feet) is the famous sentinel of this pastoral province, and its conical beauty has been likened to that of Japan's Fujiyama. It is indeed an imposing landmark, situated as it is in the central position of Taranaki and 19 miles from New Plymouth. A fine scenic reserve circles the base of this majestic peak—I say majestic, for what it loses in height it compensates for in symmetry and grace—and the fine native bush of this reserve must be seen to be appreciated. Words are poor things to describe adequately the panorama that stretches out before the eyes from the Old and New Hostels, or the simple beauty of the Veronica Valley and Ngatoro Gorge walks, the tracks to Bell's and Dawson's Falls and the grandeur that attends the 14 miles to the Kahui Hut. Two tried guides, Messrs. R. Sole and S. Arthur, are always ready to take the sight-seer along the track of his or her choice. From the summit of Egmont on a perfectly clear day can be seen the hills that surround Nelson, while Ngauruhoe, Tongariro and Ruapehu stand out in relief. Inglewood, Stratford, Waitara and New Plymouth lie at the climber's feet, glistening and scintillating in the sun.

From Stratford, in South Taranaki, Egmont loses its conical perfection by reason of Fantham's Peak, the parasitic cone that protrudes halfway up the mountainside. Hawera, too, the capital of South Taranaki, offers unrivalled perspectives of Egmont. In winter, when the snows mantle Eg-mont's slopes, she is a thing of beauty, a gem that would vie with Earth's most famed natural glory.

Through the untiring efforts of the North Taranaki Acclimatisation Society, whose president is Mr. W. H. Moyes, M.A., B.Sc., Principal of the New Plymouth Boys' High School, the rivers of the province afford trout anglers the sport of their lives. The Waiwakaiho (laughing water), Ngatoro, Stony, Warea, Henui and numerous other rivers are without rival for fly and creeper fishing. Many a doughty “bag” has come from these streams and many are the parties of fishermen who spend the day of their lives in fishing conditions such as Walton or Cotton never dreamed. Taranaki can truly be classed among anglers' paradises.

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Should the tourist prefer deep-sea fishing, then his opportunities are many. Let him take a launch or a dinghy off the Sugarloaves, Moturoa and Saddleback, where schnapper, cod, hapuka, terakihi, barracuda, kingfish and kahawai are plentiful, and I can assure him that he will return for more.

Historical relics and reminders abound in Taranaki. St. Mary's Church is here in New Plymouth with all its surroundings so redolent of the Maori Wars, Mousland Hill at the back of the church, where once stood the town's barracks—these barracks were taken down and the timber used in the construction of the Old Hostel at North Egmont. Bullet holes may still be seen in the walls of this hostel. To the West of the town, near Omata, is the battlefield of Waireka where regulars (H.M.S. “Niger”) and volunteer troops fought side by side for the first time in British history. To the East of New Plymouth, ten miles away, is Waitara and its Pukerangiora pa where such a deadly scene of carnage was enacted by the Waikatos. On Moturoa island, in the Sugarloaves group, Dicky Barrett of whaling fame lived. Running through the town is the Huatoki stream on whose upper waters, near Baine's Terrace, Maoris blocked the river with corpses and dyed the water crimson near the stone Pai-ane.

Taranaki has an array of beaches of outstanding merit. Ngamotu beach, to the west of the town, is expansive and offers all the facilities one would expect of a popular resort. There are very few “curlers” on this beach, but should the tourist prefer aquatic sport of a more boisterous type then he has East End, Strandon, and Fitz-roy beaches to the east. Here is the place for great breakers and sunny sandhills. Surfing is indulged in to a great extent and during week-ends these strands are one mass of splashing, laughing and carefree humanity. About fifteen miles from New Plymouth is the Oakura beach, while forty odd miles away is Opunake, another popular seaside resort.

New Plymouth High School Old Boys are at present the champion life-saving team of New Zealand.

New Plymouth's chief claim to natural beauty is Pukekura Park and the subsidiary estate, Brooklands. Under the supervision of Mr. T. Hor-ton these two areas have become patches of floral and sylvan beauty on the grandest scale. Many tourists have broken forth into paeans of unaffected praise over these two parks. Some have said that nowhere in the world have they come across anything to equal Pukekura; and indeed it would be difficult to find a more lovely spot. Trees and shrubs of every description abound, while swans glide serenely on the two mirror-like lakes, the upper one in particular with its willow-pattern-like bridge, being most imposing. In the fernery and surrounding garden plots may be seen the pick of the world's flora, while on the fringe of the park is a basin reserve where sports of all description are held. The Grenadier Guards Band played here and many said they had never performed in more imposing surroundings. A fitting background to her parks is New Plymouth's residential area.

As a picnicing area, the Meeting of the Waters, five miles out on the Mountain road, is very popular, for here, as the name implies, the Wai-wakaiho and the Henui rivers converge. Here also is the Mangama-hoe power-station, the centre of electrical supply.

In South Taranaki there are several secondary schools of repute. Stratford Technical High School and Hawera Technical High School are two well-established institutions. Yet I think for scholastic and athletic achievement the New Plymouth Boys' High School leads the province. It is not bias makes me say this, but cold statistics. For many years, from 1923–28, this school's rugby football prowess was a byword. Mr. R. Syme, now of Oxford, was one of New Zealand's outstanding classical scholars, while Mr. M. Barak was a Rhodes Scholar.

Last, but by no means least, are the educational facilities of Taranaki. New Plymouth has two fine secondary schools, the Boys' High School (the venue for this year's Teachers' Summer School) and the Girls' High School. Primary schools include Central, Fitzroy, West End, Westown, Vogeltown, Moturoa, Convent and Welbourn.

After dinner they adjourned to the smoke-room, where the host produced a decanter of Scotch, a syphon, a silver box of cigarettes, and a tin of tobacco. Idly picking up the tin the guest read: “Toasted Navy Cut, No. 3.” “Why Toasted,” he queried. “Improves the flavour, what?” “Ay,” replied the host, “and eliminates the nicotine, or most of it. Don't know another tobacco that's so good—or so safe. Try it?” The guest lit up, and sinking back into the depths of his luxurious chair lazily watched the smoke-rings. “By Jove!” he said, at last, sitting up, “it is good!—American” “Easy to see you're a new chum,” laughed the host, “no, my boy, not American: it's grown and manufactured in New Zealand. What d'ye think of that? Brands? There are five: Cut Plug No. 10 (Bullshead), Navy Cut No. 3 (Bulldog), Cavendish, Riverhead Gold and Desert Gold.” “I'd not the faintest idea New Zealand produced such tobacco,” declared the guest with enthusiasm. “We live and learn,” replied the host as he passed the decanter.*