North Island Tour.

The splendid coaching accommodation now offers the maximum of comfort with the minimum of fatigue. Leaving in the early morning the coach proceeds to the Spit, the port, whence a drive of a few miles brings us to the pretty little village of Petane. Thence the road lies up the luxuriant Petane Valley, crossing the river of the same name no less than twenty-four times. Leaving this lovely river the coach crosses the Kaiwhaka Creek almost an equal number of times, and then ascends the Rangipapa Range, the road, here a narrow siding with steep banks, descending abruptly to the creek bed below, there bending elbowlike round a wooded gully and descending nearly in an opposite direction. From the top of the Rangipapa a capital view is obtained of the Kaimaniwha Ranges, followed by a descent full of elbows and zigzags, bringing us past the Pohui Lake, a pretty little sheet of water where a small pleasure yacht floats at rest. The halting place at Pohui is then reached, where we are regaled with good things, and are soon again on the move towards the celebrated