LURE OF THE WILD

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21034, 9 December 1933, Page 26

LURE OF THE WILD

MLFOB© SOUN© ROAD

OPENING UP FIORDLAND SUPERB SCENIC DRIVE (By E. E. Muin) 11. Bow bountiful is Naturo ! ho shall find Who seeks not ; and to him, who hath not asked iarge measure shall bs dealt. —Wordsworth While the drive up the Milford Sound Road, as far as it has been completed, is generally acknowledged by those who have been over it as I the finest scenic drive in New Zealand, there is ample reason for declaring that when the road is finished through to its terminal, the incomparable Milford Sound, it will be the finest scenic drive in the world. This, at first glance, seems an extravagant statement to make, but then it must be remembered that one is describing country which is unique in its scenic glories and which for so many years has been famous as the region of the Milford Track, " The Finest Walk in the World." Finer than the Milford Track. The reader, perhaps, may be able to form a better appreciation of the superb scenery through which the ; Milford Sound Road passes when it ris explained that the Milford Track, fc which starts at the northern end of fEake Te Anau and terminates at the Ihead of Milford Sound, traverses the [entire length of the Clinton and ['Arthur Canyons with from 4000 to 6800 feet mountains rising abruptly on either side, and the wall of the Mackinnon Pass (3800 ft), separating J the two canyons, about half-way along the total distance of 32 miles. The Milford Sound Road, on the other hand, passes along the eastern shore of Lake Te Anau for 18 miles, and then enters the Eglinton Valley, the next mountain corridor on the right of the Clinton Canyon, passing, <up its entire length of 28i miles to {■Lake Lochie Saddle (1740 ft), the Livingstone Range, on the right of the 'road, being slightly higher, though not so steep as the ranges seen beside :the Milford Track. With only a mile 'or two left to complete the road to :Lake Lochie Saddle the route then ,'to be followed drops into the mag'nificent Upper Hollyford Canyon, ! passes along it to the source of the Hollyford River at Gertrude saddle j (4820 ft), which has to be tunnelled, jand then down the superb Gulliver land Cleddau Canyons to Milford [Sound, disclosing in full view en [route most of the finest peaks, glaciers, ;snowfields, lakes, rivers, forests, and waterfalls of Fiordland, a remarkable galaxy of the wildest grandeur, and finishing up at the wonderful Bowen Falls, one of the loveliest waterfalls in the whole world. In the Upper Hollyford, Gulliver and Cleddau Canyons—for they are certainly that—the scenery is of much greater variety than that to be seen from the Milford Track, the vistas are finer, there is much more that is thrilling and of unsurpassable grandeur, and the mountains which will seen in full view on the right of the road, are all higher and bolder and adorned with all the jewels Nature can provide. The road will have a total length of 73 miles. Of this distance 52 miles of road have been constructed, leaving only 21 miles to complete the enterprise which really represents a very notable event in the history of New Zealand. Beyond the End of the Road. To middle-aged people in ordinary -physical health who wish to obtain a [correct idea of some of the splendours through which the road has still to go, and who have the time to spare, the suggestion is made that they should stay at Cascade Camp (1570 ft), a little more than three-quarters of the [way up the Eglinton Valley, and ■selecting a fine day, visit Lake Howden and make the ascent of Key Summit (3046 ft), the terminal of the Livingstone Range, which is only 1306 ft above Lake Lochie Saddle. Driving the car past Lakes Gunn and Fergus to the end of the completed portion ,of the road—by Christmas time it ■will be possible to drive on to Lake liochie Saddle—they will leave the car there, and continue along the partially-made road past Lake Lochie to the saddle, where, still in the bush, they will take the track to the right, which, in zigzag formation, winds igently up the mountain side, passing some charming waterfalls in handsome sylvan settings en route. Finally the track passes round the western face of the mountain, and, after traversing a very interesting belt of alpine flora, comes to a junction, •which, at an elevation of about 2600 ft, leads down on the left to the supremely "beautiful Lake Howden (2200 ft), only a short distance off, and upon the Sright up to Key Summit. Visits to ;i>oth are well worth while, particularly to the Summit, which affords the most extensive views of one of the finest of Fiordland. A Series of Surprises. After the gradual ascent by the Toad up from Te Anau, which only rises 1100 ft in the whole distance of 53 Jmiles, the motorist, on reaching Lake iLochie Saddle, is not prepared for the abruptness of the drop down through the forest into the Hollyford Canyon and for the sight of two fine snowcapped peaks, Mt. Lyttle (6277 ft) and an unnamed peak (6800 ft), which, in great bush-clad buttresses, rise up out of the void on the far side. The change is so sudden as to be startling. But many more pleasant surprises await the motorist as he ascends the zigzag track. He has not gone far before a still more beautiful vision, hitherto hidden by the end. of the Earl Range on the left, discloses itself, the lovely Mt. Christina (8210 ft), one of ,the two stately queens of Fiordland, dn all the glory of her regal magni.flcence. Two miles distant, rising straight up out of the sylvan depths [below in one huge mass, Mt. Christina ps here seen from the right elevation {to appreciate the boldness of her outaine and the ricnness of her dressings. [Up to the 3000 ft line' her precipitous ;sides are' robed in the finest forest, ,which, in turn, gives place to black precipices and glittering snow and icepields, and culminates in a majestic wedge-shaped peak which soars in the blue, more than 6000 ft above the observer! . . . Straight in front, on the lar side of the void, between Christina and Mt Lyttle, appears a charming elevated valley, which, walled off in !the west by the jagged Crosscut Range (about 6800 ft), is wonderfully picturesque and deserves a suitable name—for, Jhke so many other peaks and valleys jin the whole district, it is ' not yet {named. This elevated valley is the ihome of three mountain gems, Lakes JMarian, Marianette, and Mariana, the ifflrst of which is plainly seen from the vigzag path. Utoaring Rapids and Lower Hollyford Canyon. Issuing out of Lake Marian, three fniles off, the lover of the sublime and he beautiful sees a silver streak of tfoaming rapids plunging down through the forest into the Hollyford Canyon. Those who have seen the wonders of the Milford Track never fail to make an impression on their friends by stating, ,^ f ,?!T in £ to the Sutherland Palls (1904 ft), the highest in the world, that the roar of them can be heard pair a mile oft But the roar of these rapids, which tumble 2000 ft in their course of one and a half miles is much £ eater, and we could distinguish it om where we stood, mingled with hzr PwiHiwmfl ii> ■

the roar of the Hollyford cataracts which were unseen below. Bounding the western face of Kev Summit, a fair distance further still another wholly extraordinary unforgettably beautiful scene burst-: into full view—the lovely scenic para dise of the Lower or Great Hollyford Canyon, hemmed in on both sides-bv high, precipitous snow-clad mountain* which lift their peaks into the skv with the broad, blue Hollyford River far down below, flowing through tall dark green forest which covers the canyon floor. Running north for 15 miles, almost in a straight line as it were, until it is cut off by the hieh -Skippers Range, the view of this great canyon is so extensive and so remark ably beautiful that when it is better known it will be universally acclaimed as being among the finest in New Zea land. Lake How den and Key Summit. The drop down the track to the Lake Howden hut to boil the billy makes a charming interlude. The law, itself, half a mile long by a quart® of a mile in width, is close by, a per feet picture of Nature's own painting reflecting all the colourings of the sur rounding mountains in the mirror of its placid waters . . . Away down nast the southern end of the lake, 12 mites distant, can be seen the David Peaks of the Livingstone Range. Enchanting as the views of Lake Howden and of the encircling moun tains are, however, it is wiser not to linger there too long when such exten .sive panoramas of so much of' the finest scenery in Fiordland are obtain able from Key Summit. Reascendin* the track to the junction and then com pleting the short remaining climb of about 400 ft to the summit, the sensa tion, as one passes up through the crowning belt of beautiful flowerine alpines and tops the final rise whet! the whole region is suddenly unfolded to view, is that of having been admit ted to an exquisite paradise which few spots on earth can equal and fewer still excel. What a jumble of hich snow-clad mountain ranges! There an» no less than five of them all dazzling in the sunshine as they lift their scores of snowy crests on high—the Earl and Livingstone Ranges to the south and south-east, the superb Ailsa Range close in to the east and north-east, the mai estic Skippers Range to the north and the finest of them all, the noble Bar ran Mountains with Mt. Christina to the west. And how queer! AH de- ' pouching into the immense abyss of the Great Hollyford Canyon! Here, looking in all directions, one sees the actual hinterland of the world famous Milford Sound, far surpassing in its transcendant grandeur all th! vain imaginings of those who have never seen it, all viewable for 15 miw and more around from such a central point of vantage, which is so easily accessible as to constitute only an hour's walk—it cannot properly be called a climb—from a first-class motor road when it passes over Lochie Saddle! One requires to spend a couple of hours at least, in viewing the multiplicity of splendours that can be seen from this wonderful spot. . . What enormous precipices are there, what mighty palisades of alluring peaks, most of them unnamed and ueclimbed! What enormous chasms, glorious forests, amethyst, emerald and silver lakes, and glittering rivers that flow in so many different directions' Well might one say with Wordsworth: . . . . full many 3 spot Of hidden beautr have I chanced t 0 esjy Among the mountains ; never one lika tiis; So lonesome and so perfectly secure. "Key to Watershed of 0U50." This, the northern terminal of the Livingstone Range, is well namw| Key Summit, for, as Dr. G. M. Moir says in his Guide Book of the district, it "is the key to the watershed of Otago, for to the north the Hollyford flows out to the west caest; then the Eglinton River runs through Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri and the Waiau River to the south coast; finally the waters of the Greenstone flow through Lake Wakatipu and the Molyneux River to the east coast" On a fine day when the sun is blazing down out of a cloudless drawing up the vapours from betor, the prospects in the distance are enhanced by a pronounced bluish, furplish haze, whilst on a cloudy with the feathery mists of Fionitei slowly drifting about one is presented with weird and ever-changing vistas in which the mountains appear strangely ethereal, filmy shapes that grow out of nothingness... are splashed now and again with goJdea shafts of sunlight . . . and again grow dim and disappear. Under the latter conditions Christina, so close in the west, is. indeed, an entrancing vision to behold, so lovely in all her mystic bridal veils, toweling up so high above one, lost and now revealed again amidst the vapours that cling, and hesitate; and do not seem to know where to go. It is like a beautiful moving picture such as one would expect to see la heaven itself. Down in the Eglinton Valley Lata Lochie, Fergus, and Gurtn evoke admiration for their beautiful setting. . . . On the other side Lake Howiaa, Lake McKellar, and the fairyland c! the upper Greenstone Valley nestle at one's feet, while the lordly Axto Range, a truly remarkable sight, a seen broadside on for many miles. The View to the North. Magnificent as these panoramas are, however, much as one wishes to tate in the whole of their detail, it is % the north that one turns most frequently to renew one's impressions c£ the Great Hollyford Canyon. It is 1000 ft deeper now that wherr it was first seen while ascending the traek from Lake Lochie Saddle, an enormous gulch, the floor of which js 2500 ft below Key Summit, waited is. along its straight length by 7000. 88@l> and 9000 ft mountains —for Mt. Ttatofes (9042 ft), the king of Fiordland, and Mt. Madeline (8380 ft). his reigßinf Queen, both unseen from Key Su®mit, are only around that far caratf on the left by the Skippers Rarsgt A visit paid to Key Summit is tne memory of a lifetime. Apart front tSe gorgeous panoramas to be seen frt® there it possesess other interests. _ IS is remarkable for the series of anetett earthquake rents which have rif® its sides, and for the profusion alpine and sub-alpine flora grows in full luxuriance and is sot a delight to the botanist and lovers of nature. Even to the experienced alpinist the ascent of Summit is an outing that he shows not miss; to the easv-going motorist of middle age it provides a magnificent reward for very little effortunrivalled views from just trie rig®: point of elevation of the gloriously beautiful wonderland that lies at the back of Milford Sound. The next article will give a description of the remaining 20 miles _ along which the road has yet to be built ce* fore it reaches Milford Sound.