NO PARADISE FOR PAINTERS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30587, 2 November 1964, Page 3

NO PARADISE FOR PAINTERS

(N.Z. Press Association) OAMARU, Nov. 1. An Oamaru firm has just completed its most unusual painting project. It was a tender—in the vicinity of £6ooo—to paint the Tourist Corporation’s hotels at Te Anau and Milford Sound. Te Anau Hotel presented

no difficulties, but it was a different story at Milford. The contract called for the work to be completed before the start of the tourist season: and with the Homer tunnel closed it was necessary to fly the painters and their equipment and material in to Milford. Mr A. Wilson, whose firm was entrusted with the work, secured a Cessna and a Dominie to carry out the ferrying of his men and material. 'The planes took off repeat-

edly with the interiors loaded with paint. The Cessna also carried extension ladders and pasting boards strapped underneath.

But the transfer of the men and material was only a small problem compared with what was to follow. The work had to be completed while the staff—about 60 at each hotel —was not in residence.

The painters, when they arrived at Milford, were given the public bar as a

store and it was covered with paint—hundreds of gallons. The roof paint for Milford was a special mix of 2000 gallons, and because of the wet weather there it had to have special drying properties. The paint could be applied to a damp surface and dried in 20 minutes.

This was necessary because at Milford, where the average rainfall is 300 inches a year (the record rainfall for a day is about 23 inches) the conditions for painting were far from good. To speed up the work, a 4cwt spray unit was transported to Milford by air. To this was fitted a large motorcar silencer—so that the vibration and noise would be reduced and thus lessen the risk of starting an avalanche on the nearby, steep, snowcoated mountains. There was also a sandfly menace. From the moment of arrival the men waved their arms about to ward off the insects—to no avail. It appeared only to attract them.

The assistance of a chemist was obtained and supplies of insect repellant, by the halfgallon, were flown in. This was followed by a lotion, in case the bites became too severe; and later tablets were supplied to those men who were in pain. The men worked 80 hours a week for more than a month to complete the work.