Hawera.

Hotels.—Empire. Gallagher's.

Places of interest.—Sea Beach.—Normanby.

Hawera is a town of considerable importance, and supplies the large population of the plains, is governed by a Mayor and Corporation, has comfortable, large hotels, and from Hawera coaches leave for Opunake and New Plymouth via the coast. The township of Normanby is only a few miles distant, nearer the base of the mountain. Here the tourist for the first time is able to grasp the extent of plain country he is about to enter on. The town of Hawera is built upon the flat, and from it he can make excursions up the line towards New Plymouth by cither rail or the mountain, or to the sea coast, or to the plains, and by making Hawera his head quarters for a few days, he will be able to see much of Maori life and manners.

The streets of Hawera are well laid out, the Government Offices, Post, Telegraph, Court House are well built, and, though of wood, are pretentious structures. The Drill Hall, Masonic Hall, and Oddfellows' Hall fit well for entertainments. Hawera is considered a very gay inland town, and possesses a great name on the coast for hospitality and amusement.