‘ROTORUA SQUALID’

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30677, 17 February 1965, Page 1

‘ROTORUA SQUALID’

Criticism By Travel Agent (N Z. Press Association) TIMARU, Feb. 16. “All Rotorua has is a mud pool,” yet it was classed by the Government as New Zealand's leading tourist attraction. It was. in fact, the most squalid place in New Zealand —dirty and bedraggled. This view was expressed today by Mr G. L. Barker, president of the Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand, a passenger on the Japanese cruise ship, Oriental Queen, at present at Timaru. The same opinion, he said, had been stated vigorously in other quarters. The Government’s promotion of Rotorua as a tourist resort was one of the reasons why cruise ships mainly called at North Island ports. Similar promotion of South Island tourist attractions could have the effect of bringing the ships to ports such as Timaru. "There is much more to see in a day’s tour to Mount Cook from Timaru than there is in a similar trip from Auckland to Rotorua,” said Mr Barker. “There is no reason why cruise passengers could not stay overnight at the Hermitage and rejoin the ship at Lyttelton the following day.” Timaru had a fine deepwater harbour capable of handling all cruise ships. It was one of the reasons why it was his plan to foster South Island cruises such as that at present being undertaken by the Oriental Queen.