HEALTHY SPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 202, 28 August 1933, Page 11

HEALTHY SPORT.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING. SKI CLUB BIRTHDAY PARTY. CABINET MINISTERS PRESENT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) THE CHATEAU, Sunday. "Mountaineering is a . fine, clean, healthy sport that is producing a good type of citizen," said the Hon. A Hamilton, Minister in charge of Tourist and Health Resorts, when speaking at a dinner given by the Ruapelm Ski Club at the Chateau in celebration of the twenty-first birthday of the club. The three peaks of National Park wore represented in sugar icing on the special birthday cakes, which were cut by Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. R. Cobbe. Among the 150 guests were the Hon. J. Bitchener, Minister of Public Works, Sir James Gunson, a member of the National Park Board, Mr. S. Gambrill, secretary of the board, and Mr. J. Cullen, warden of the park. The president of the club, Mr. A. D. Mead, of Auckland, presided. Tracing tho history of the club, the president said it had been formed through tho efforts of his brother, Mr. W. P. Mead, Mr. B. Drake, and others, who introduced skis into National Park in the winter of 1913. The first meeting had been held in the Waihohonu Hut. In its 21 years, the club had made great strides and had done a lot of useful work in the way of cutting tracks, erecting huts and marking routes. Responding to the toast of the Department, Mr. Hamilton said that the Government appreciated the work the club was doing. The Chateau was one of the largest individual assets of the Department, and though it was not paying interest on capital, it was almost making ends meet as far as working expenses were concerned. Moving pictures showing the attractions of the National Park were expected to prove an excellent advertisement, and yiese would show people overseas tliat New Zealand had some of the finest scenery in the world. The Department, continued Mr. Hamilton, was doing more work at the Chateau with the object of attracting tourists than at any other ecenic resort in the Dominion. A motor road was being constructed to the ski-ing grounds on Scoria Flat, and a hydro-electric plant, which, it was anticipated, would reduce running costs at the Chateau by £1000 a year, was under way. In responding to the toast to the board, Sir James Gunson said that the board would soon have to consider the development of the more distant parts of the park. There were the wonderful volcanic craters of Tongariro, the Ketetahi springs and the Maori fortifications at which Te Kooti made his final stand. Other speakers were as follow:—Mr. R. Cobbe, on behalf of the Chateau management; Mr. R. Syme, of Hawera, vice-president of the club; Mr. W. S. Rennie, Wanganui, secretary; Mr. D. Macpherson, Palmerston North; Dr. Welby Fisher, Taumarunui; Messrs. J. Manning, J. C. McComish and G. D. G. Plummer, Auckland, Mr. C. C. Stubley, Wellington, on behalf of the Tararua Tramping Club; Mr. D. Macklow, Auckland, on behalf of the Alpine Sports Club; Mr. G. Simpson, Wellington, on bohalf of the Aorangi Ski Club, and Dr. D. Brown, Auckland, on behalf of the Auckland University College Field and Alpine Club.