MUD AND SLUSH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 190, 14 August 1939, Page 9

MUD AND SLUSH.

CHATEAU GUESTS' ORDEAL.

QUARTER OF A MILE WALK.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

THE CHATEAU, Sunday.

With the last 500 yards of road mado impassable for traffic by mud and slu*h after a sudden thaw, visitors on Friday night to National Park wer© forced to walk a quarter of a mil® across the water logged golf-course to the Chateau.

The bus loads of guests began to arrive from 11.30 p.m. onwards, and the unfortunate pleasure-seekers and their luggage were disembarked by torch-light and light from the carlights in a steady drizzle of rain. Such luggage as was needed for the night had to be carried by the travellers, who squelched through the mud to arrive at the Chateau in the early hours of the morning.

Included among the visitors were 40 students from the Auckland University college, who lent a hand to carry the other guests' luggage. Several of the guests already at the Chateau turned out and helped the valiantly-toiling members of the staff to carry mail and. luggage from the stranded buses

Metal was spread to make the road available for Saturday night's contingent of visitors. Snow fell on Saturday morning, covering the ground all round the Chateau. Driving sleet made things unpleasant for ski-era on the ski-ing grounds in the afternoon, but this cleared towards the evening.