First Car Trip To Hanmer

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 9

First Car Trip To Hanmer

[By

ALAN M. EYLES]

'THE excellent camping x facilities provided for motorists at Hanmer Springs are widely known and much in use these days, but 63 years ago this centre of recuperation had not seen a car. The roads, rivers and lack of motoring facilities presented a formidable barrier to anyone from Christchurch who thought of taking the car to Hanmer, and it was not until April 7, 1901, that the first car tackled what until that time had been considered the prerogative of cyclists. The large number of today’s motorists who are familiar with the well marked route to Hanmer wilt be interested in the great difference between the journey then and now, as suggested in the following account published on April 10, 1901:

“On Sunday, April 7, Messrs F. N. Adams and H. P. Martin left Christchurch in an automobile for Hanmer Springs. The object of the trip was to test the new Star automobile, which was made in Paris and especially designed for New Zealand conditions. The French manufacturers were given a free hand to supply the best possible car to suit New Zealand roads and the makers were sure that they could suceed, and succeed well. “To Hanmer Springs is a very severe test, and this trip was selected with the object of giving the automobile the severest possible work in hill-climbing, crossing riverbeds, river gorges, etc.

Trip Started “At midday, with the car loaded up with a supply of petrol, provisions and rugs, the trip was commenced. Rangiora was soon reached and passed, but before coming to Amberley the river at Leithfield had to be crossed. The car, with a low gear, was put to the task. The little engine pumped away and surprised the party. “The rough shingle road leading up to the ford was quite easy and the river was low; but the dip into the river was severe as was also the rise out of the bed. But without effort, the engine carried the car quite easily across the stream.

“The next river to be crossed was the Waipara. Here it was expected that there would be some trouble, but the engine and gear came up to the expectation of the French experts and drove the car through the heavy shingle approaches and across the several streams, the deepest of which was 18 inches in places. ‘The car’s hill climbing capabilities, and the brake, now had a severe task to encounter in the Weka pass. Most cyclists know the pass and are fully aware of the stiff pinches en route. With the low gear, the automobile romped up the incline of the pass, and free-wheeled down the slope controlled by the three brakes. The performance of the car and engine on the Weka pass was indeed admirable as, without hitch, every pinch of the road was covered without stopping. “After leaving Waikari, the Black Hills, with steep grades in places had to be climbed and on the down grades the brakes were quite strong enough to pull up and stop. To Hurunui, the good roads enabled the car to make 30 m.p.h. on the best stretches. After crossing the Huruniu bridge, a long straight road to Culverden offered the chance of a safe ride at full speed ahead. “The members of the party were satisfied that, with more experience in driving and manipulating the machine, faster speeds could have been obtained. Just before reaching Culverden the River Pahau came into sight. The road to the river was very soft, but the river itself was low and caused no trouble.

“To the Waiau Ferry Accommodation House the road is over undulating country with very steep declines and inclines. The Waiau Gorge cutting into the Hanmer Plains is a long steep decline, but the brakes' were quite efficient to pull up the 15cwt which was the weight of the car and passengers. With the low speed on, the River Hanmer was forded, also the Rivers Percival and Rogerson. “Hurrying on the engine’s full speed, the Sanitarium was soon reached, greatly to the surprise of the cyclists and visitors there. The total running time of the engine from Christchurch to the Sanitarium was seven hours, and frequent stoppages were made for oiling the machinery, owing to crossing the rivers. The trip was for a holiday and no attempt was made to put up a fast time, but had this been anticipated it could have been done with only three stoppages for oiling. “The engine is driven with nine measures of air and one of petrol vapour which are mixed in a carburettor. The value of the petroi used to take the car to Hanmer and

back cost 12s and the oil Is, the total cost of power being 13s for 200 miles of journey. The Star automobile is an expensive car, but the trip proved that the best is cheapest in the automobile line, it might be mentioned that Messrs Adams and Martin were the first to reach Hanmer on an automobile.

“Speaking generally of roads, they are, with the exception of the river beds, quite equal to those in France so that in Canterbury there is a second Paris for the use of the automobile. To show the great interest that the French people take in the sport it may not be out of

place to say that at the exhibition held at the Royal Palace, no less than 46,000 of the rank, wealth and fashion of Paris attended on the opening day.

“English autocar papers, in speaking of this wonderful exposition, stated that although there was an apparent chance of England catching up in automobile design last year, now the English manufacturers are years and years behind as the French have again made great strides in all directions.”