The Spiral.

Mr. Johnston spoke of the famous Raurimu Spiral, whose tortuous ascent of 500 feet in five miles he negotiated with express or goods trains on countless occasions, in times ranging from an average of 30 minutes to delayed periods of 2 ½ hours. On early morning trips the magnificent scenery was sometimes obscured by drizzling rain, and bewildering changes of climate were probable as higher altitudes were reached.

With winter's approach, the scenery took on a wilder, bleaker aspect of bush tones in green, and in the sombre hues of great railway cuttings, gaping dark as wounds in towering walls of rock. The steady ominous crackling of bush fires at night would precede many a proud tree's toppling crash into hungry unflung arms of flame.