WITH TENT AND MOTOR.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20085, 14 November 1930, Page 4

WITH TENT AND MOTOR.

ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS JOURNEYS. WEST COAST AND FftANZ JOSEF. By "Trip"

(All Bights Reserved.)

' ayijjjSo articles, appearing weekly <}vtriSg' th? ar.mninr months, are written primarily for motor campers, but will give motorists gorerftlly useful information about roads In order thftt they may bo of fullest eervice, queries will be answered, and assistance given in the planning of itineraries. AII queries should be accompanied by ■. stomped addressed, envelope, and forwarded to "Trip," P.O. So* 1173, Wellington. The majority of motor campers have fairly brief holidays at Christmcut. these lasting; from three days up to 'a week, Tl?e country which they can cover during that time is limited, and if they attempt too much they return to work more tired than when they left. Those who have longer holidays usually prefer to take these between January and March, when the weather is more settled, and the motor camps less busy. During the next few weeks half a dozen different journeys suitable for brief Christmas holidays will bo' , dataiJled. ? one or two pf .whioh are within easy access ol practically all motorists. Each of these will cover certain places that offer exceptional attractions to the tourist, and especially the motor camper, and where more time is available several can .he combined into one excellent holiday N elson-Murchison-Hokit&g, Places to camp: Nelson—-Two Damping grounds, Meservoir reserve best appointed. Hurchison—Good camping available, handy to town. Westport-**-Well appointed ground. KeeltonOnmping ground. Mawljeraiti—Near river. One of the few plafees to camp between Reefton and Greymouth. Gre.vmonth—Proper camping ground. Hokitika—Near town, but wonderful camping at Lake Kanieri, 12 miles out. l<>ana Josef—Just across river, past hotel. Other camping places— Between Hokitika and the glacier there are several lakes near which there are fine camp sites. Plenty, of places all along this road. Be sure and see: Earthquake damage in vicinity of Murchison. Duller Gorge on tho road that has just been reopened. The specially beautiful reaches of the Buller between Innngahua Junction and Westport (off main road south). Lakes Kanieri, lanthe. Wahapo, and Mapourika. j In a fairly Btrenuo is four day trip, j it is possible to mnke across from Cbristchureh to tho West Const, up to Nelson, across to picton and back hotne down the East Coast via Kaikoura. Meantime, however, we are not concerned with the round trip, but rather with the particular attractions of the West Coast itself. Old Road Reopened. The reopening of the old road through tho Buller Gorge makes possible ft round trip op the Coast itself. 'The journey one way can be made on tho old road, and on tho return trip ean be made on the road which runs out via Maruia. This road, made into a secondary highway after the big earthquake, Is in good condition, and -will probably be fairly well maintained, for some time yot. There is a dang«s pi slips on the road that hfta jußt besn reopened* and it; wiU. Vteejr to avoid it if tho, weather is bad. The run southwards from Kelson to Murchison, a distance of just over 80 miles, offor no difficulties other than a few fairly steep hills, and some bad corners. 1 The highest point of the road is at the top of the Hope saddle, and from here a glorious panorama of bushcovered hills and valleys is obtained. By camping in the vicinity of Murchison easy access is obtained to the changes wrought in the landscape by the terrible earthquake last year. Those Who see these within the next few years see geological history in the making, for the growth of bush and grass is gradually covering up the worst of the scars, and eventually there will be only another beautiful West Coast lake to show for all the damage. Between Murchison and Inangahua Junction you traverse the Buller Gorge road, probably the most ruggedly beautiful stretch of road in New Zealand. It is winding, narrow in places, and at -times rises sheer above the river, hundreds of feet below, but the surface is .good, and with careful driving no troublos should be experienced. For about thirty miles the road winds in and out of the beautiful bush, and throughout the greater part of the journey the silont, green, menacing river, is flowing, away down below the road. It is a journey that cannot be adequately de* scribed in words. Diversion to Weßtport. There is nothing in particular about Westport that caflr for a diversion from the main roa4, but one of the most wonderful stretches of the Buller Gorge road, and certainly the moßt spectacular, lies between Inangahua Junction and the town of Westport. , There is a motel 1 camp at .Westport, at the racecourse, so that a night can be spent there if desired. ' Between Inangahua Junction and Hokitika there are no particular beauty spots to command attention, the road runs through JJeefton and Greymouth, and there are camping grounds at both places. There are very few points between Reefton and Greymouth which offer decent camping, one of the best being near the river at Mawheraiti, While there is quite good camping handy to Hokitika, it is Well worth while running out to Lake Kanieri and eampmg there, for this is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Dominion, and offers good swimming, fishing, and boating, and plenty ef mountain rambles, if time be available. Southwards to Oliwiei-. jThose who have never been over to the Coast often have quite smiiem ideas regarding the roads there. It is true that softie of the by-roads are very rough, and that portions of the main roads are pretty bumpy at timoß, but the mam road south to the glacier is a very good one, and though it is narrow in places, it offers no difficulties even . during wot weathei-, The road runs in and out of wonderful bush, close to the shores of several very beautiful lakes, and provides many' excellent spots at winch camp can bo pitehad, It is roughly -100 miles from Hokitika to the glacier, and it is a very easy day's journey. Lovers of the open air. thi^ltretch 0 #^ 01 !* 8^ 01 wee}fs along this stretch, for it offers just about everything possible in the outdoor life, i It is doubtful whether there is anywhere in New Zealand a mora delicht- ' fully situated lake than lanthe bv tieallv y fi?i P t\ S » t B ,7 0u 86 south. i>ra£ J, *J)o. river crossings, which used to be the bane of motors and give endless trouble during the B p«l, of wet ihih fowe during the Weßt Coast summer have now been bridged, so "to the glacioris easy at all times The bent camping place at the Sae'ler IS across the bridge just past fw w*i there being ample flat P !«.** il ' Guides arq essential for g? aQier and motor campws shoutdalwayslinl