Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-10-09
The Geysers of New Zealand.
The King Country. H. Kerry Nichols

The King Country II. Kerry Nichols
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. 1t 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
to Whakari, the active crater ia the
Bay of Plenty in the East. The bot
tom of the valley is situated at an
elevation of 1903 feet from above the
level of the sea, while down its 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 Walkato. It's.
steep, winding sides rise in some
places to the height of over 200 feet.
and above these again fiat 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 fssure filled with
a 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 a
melancholy, dismal-looking place. tt
has not the hadeslike appearance Of
Tikitere nor the valley-of death-like
look Of Whakarewarewa. One is at
once struck with a varied growth Of
vegetation which every where
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 a tortuous path
way we heard the rushing Of waters
below as the turbulent stream be-
meath sweet onward over a 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 noise like the in
cessant "thudn of steam hammer,
which MINGLED in welrd way with
the lold roar and splashing Of the
geyses as they threw up their
column of boiling water above the
trees. Gazing anywhere, up and
dowl the valley, some of the most
beautiful and curious sights presented
themselves. The warm stream which
gathered its waters from the overflow
Ing geysers and springs wound its
course among the trees, sparkling and
glttering beneath the sun. la some
5laces its sides were 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 sialac-
tites, while others. assuming a round
ed buttress-li like formation, were green
with ferns and dqnk MOSES OF varied
hue. At another moment a rocky
point came into view, and above tie
clustering ferns, brilliant IN tie soft
rays of light, the tall manuka trees,
which here attain 10 wonderful pro
cast their gnarled branches
10 a dense canopy overhead, aud from
he very waters edge, where the
warm springs dubbed and Missed. to
the very summit of the valley on
either side. the heated soil gives life to
wonders Of the vegetable
world