Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-10-09
The Geysers of New Zealand.
The King Country--J. H. Kerry Nichols

III N
The Geyser valley of Wairakei is
one of the most marvellous creations
of its kind to be found perhaps in any
part of the world It forms, as It
were, one of the principal arteries of
thermal action, which woald seem to
extend from the volcano of Tongariro
in the South through the lake region
tn Whakari, the active crater ia the
Bay of Plenty in the East TIE bot
tom of the valley is situated at an
elevation of 1, 900 feet from above the
level of the sea, while down it's cen
ter, which has a gradual fall to the
East, a warm stream of water, known
as TIE Wairakei, flows rapidly on its
course to join the Waikato. It's.
steep, winding sides rise in some
places to the height of over 200 feet,
and above these again fat terraces
spread out, bounded by clusters Of
conical, fern-clad hills, which mount
upwards, as it were, In increasing
elevation to the heights beyond.
Looking down the valley from one of
the elevations one sees the winding
course of the great assure filed with
g dense growth Of vegetation, forced
into life, as it were, by the white
clouds of steam that mount into the
air on every side. There is one great
charm about the Geyser valley of
Wairakei, and that is it is not
melancholy, dismal-looking place. It
has not the hadeslike appearance of
Tikitere nor the valley-of death like
look Of Whakarewarewa. One is at
once struck with varied growth Of
vegetation which everywhere
abounds, the luxuriance of the trees,
the rich beauty Of the ferns and the
vivid green of the thick carpet Of
rare and beautiful moses which
spreads itself everywhere about, from
to margin of the stream below to the
very tops of the steep, smoking
cliffs. Every geyser, spring and mud
hole has its clustering vegetation, and
as you grope your way through the
thick underground along the tortuous
stream, each thermal wonder bursts
suddenly upon the view with fresh
and startling beauty. AS we descend
ed into the valley by tortuous path
way we heard the rushing of waters
below as the turbulent stream be.
meath swept onward over series Of
miniature cascades. Then the noise
of Kissing steam burst upon the ear;
the heated ground seemed to quake
beneath our feet, and boiling mud
holes sent forth a noise like the in
cessant ''thud" Of a steam hammer,
which MINGLED in weird way with
the loud roar and splashing Of the
geysers as they threw up their
column of boiling water above the
trees. Gazing anywhere, up and
down the valley, some Of the most
beautiful and curious sights presented
themselves. The warm stream which
gathered It's waters from the overflow
ing geysers and springs wound It's
course among the trees. sparkling and
gl1ttering beneath the SUN. la some
places its sides We're entirely fringed
with silicious deposits, some white
and beautiful like overhanging folds
of lace, some dipping down Into the
water in the form of enormous stalac-
tiles, while others, assuming round
ed buttress-like formation, were green
with ferns and dank moses of varied
hue. At another moment a rocky
point came into view, and above the
ferns, brilliant IN the soft
rays of light, the tail manuka trees,
which here attain to wonderful pro
portions, cast their gnarled branches
IN q dense canopy overhead, and from
the very waters edge, where the
warm springs dubbed and missed, to
the very summit of the valley on
either side, the heated soil gives lie to
countless wonders OF tie vegetable
world.