TOURISTS' HOSTEL.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19503, 27 December 1928, Page 4

TOURISTS' HOSTEL.

NEAR FOX GLACIER. COMMODIOUS NEW BUILDING. Hundreds of people visit the Franz Josef Glacier at this timo of year, but only a small proportion go on to the Fox Glacier. That is because the country beyond the Waiho river has been regarded as a no-man's-land of bad roads and unbridged creeks, lacking accommodation for tourists. All Of this is now changed, for, thanks to the' Public Works Department, the-Waiho river may now be crossed by a substantial bridge, the road has been improved, and Messrs' Sullivan Bros, have built a magnificent hostel at Weheka at a cost of approximately £20,000, which was opened last Thursday with a gathering which was a record for South Westland. The following description of the hostel is reprinted from a West Coast exchange:— The hostel is situated at only a short distance fmm the on which a hut is iij.dctl at; a height to. suit climbers desiring to make a round journey from the Fox to ,the Franz Josef, or vice versa, as the two glaciers merge near their source into each other. The Fox is a very easy glacier to negotiate for quite a considerable distance up.

Guide Sheerin/a well-known mountaineer, is in charge of the climbing operations. '• . The style in which the Fox Glacier Hostel is built is that of the bungalow, in two storeys, its dimensions being: Length 100 feet, height 38 feet, breadth 50 feet. It is beautifully- proportioned, with two balconieß, that in front facing the road, and that at the northern end facing the glacier, ana both giving, a fine outlook. There are about forty bedrooms, equal to accommodating' about 100 people, with four parlours, also offices, on the lower floor,, and a large, well-lighted dining-room at the southern end, capable of Seating between sixty and seventy persons. ' The timber used is heart of rimu throughout, cut and planed by the mill of Messrs Sullivan Broß., whilst _the several... mantelpieces and other fittings are of various* ornamental kinds of wood. The whole of the rooms are beautifully decorated,* the colour scheme being artistic; thus, the rugs, carpets, window curtains, wallpapers, and other contents tone in each apartment with the utmost taste. The floor coverings as a whole must have been very costly, and are all that could be desired. Messrs Callari and O'Oonnell, of Hokitika, were the upholsterers. The tiling, mantling, and furnishing were done by Mr Jas. Duncan, jun., with the co-operation of Mr B. Clark, of Weheka. The hostel is lighted with one hundred electric lamps, these being supplied from a fine plant installed by Messrs Sullivan, a mile and a quarter distant, on the hill, while the water supply for the generators is derived from the Clearwater stream, higher up on ,the range, and conveyed in large cast-iron pipes for a distance of nearly a mile. The heating is also done electrically, whilst the large cooking range in the commodious kitchen can be operated both with electricity and with coal or wood fires. A pleasing feature is the provision of a special hostel for the staff, comprising eight rooms, situated at the rear of tho main buildings. There is also a fine garage, measuring 50 feet by 40 feet, and a billiard room forms a fourth structure, measuring 30 feet V 26 feet. There is also a scullery, whilst special provision is made for a freezing chamber, and a water-cooled meat safe. The water supply' of the hostel is from two large tanks, mounted at a height of forty feet, and replenished from the ranges. Fronting the main entrance is a handsome portico, with facilities for landing from the. motors beneath its roof.