A woman in the Antipodes and in the Far East . ay planksand nails, the houses being all built of wood. Why should we linger regretting the absence of Cathe-dral naves, painted pictures, or the accumulation of stuffedbirds and animals, when we can go to Nature, a far ablerarchitect, zoologist, and artist ? I venture to say there isno other country of the same size in the world that canshow such a variety of picturesque beauties or naturalwonders as can be seen in these islands. It was towards the end of January, and consequentlymid-summer, when I arrived at Wellington, whereforemany of the town
A woman in the Antipodes and in the Far East . ay planksand nails, the houses being all built of wood. Why should we linger regretting the absence of Cathe-dral naves, painted pictures, or the accumulation of stuffedbirds and animals, when we can go to Nature, a far ablerarchitect, zoologist, and artist ? I venture to say there isno other country of the same size in the world that canshow such a variety of picturesque beauties or naturalwonders as can be seen in these islands. It was towards the end of January, and consequentlymid-summer, when I arrived at Wellington, whereforemany of the townsfolk were absent on holidays cousin was fortunately not far away, so had kindlycome in to meet me, and that afternoon took me back withher to a little country farm about forty miles from the city. While there, we evolved the idea of making up a partyto go south, and walk through the famous Te Anau Trackto Milford Sound. The coast on the south-west corner of the middle islandis for miles indented with magnificent waterways, known 12. NEW ZEALAND WELLINGTON TO TE ANAU 13 collectively as the West Coast Sounds, the antipodeanrivals of the Fiords of Norway. For years the Union Steamship Company haveorganized annually two summer excursions to thesemagnificent arms of the sea. Visitors are taken to eachSound in turn, and where possible put ashore for shortexpeditions. My former visit to New Zealand I made tocoincide with a Sounds trip, and thus I saw all the beautiesthey had to show. We put into Milford Sound for a dayor two, and walked one morning to Lake Ada, a distanceof about three miles, and I well remember how I longed tobe able to go farther; but at that period the track acrosscountry to Lake Te Anau was not opened up, and to workones way there was reckoned an arduous undertaking,even for men. I had, however, seen enough of the wild beauty of thescenery to arouse my enthusiasm, and when the suggestionto make up a party for the trip was now mooted, I waskeenly anxious
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