Alaskan Praises Mt. Cook Scenery

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30733, 24 April 1965, Page 17

Alaskan Praises Mt. Cook Scenery

praise of New Zealand mountain scenery from an Alaskan is praise indeed, but Mr Lowell Thomas, jun, who comes from the forty-ninth state of the United States of America where mountain peaks exceed 20.000 ft, is enthusiastic about the Mount Cook National Park. He is a lecturer and film, radio and television commentator of international reputation. Mr Thomas, who has been in New Zealand to gather material for a tourist promotion film, said in Christ church that the highlight of his visit to the country was Mount Cook and its national park. The Hermitage was the best tourist hotel he had visited. "1 come from Alaska.

where there are steep mountains and mighty glaciers, but in every sense I am extremely impressed by what I have seen in New Zealand. I hope that through our film your tourist promotion will ~ be highly successful, and 1 shall certainly do everything possible to bring American tourists to this part of the world,” Mr Thomas said. Mr Thomas is on a tour which will last for eight weeks and will embrace Australia and the South Pacific Islands as well as New Zealand. He left for Australia yesterday. During his New Zealand visit Mr Thomas was accompanied by a movie camerman from the National Film Unit, a still photographer for the Australian National Travel Association, and representatives of the New Zealand Tourist Department. He will later prepare a commentary for the film, which will be released to selected audiences in the United States in September or October. Mr Thomas said he was probably prejudiced in his opinions of mountain scenery because of his home state and his interests in climbing and ski-ing. He said he was interested in “high adventure.” but found he had to exclude this angle from his documentary because it was aimed at the tourist in the 50 and over age group. “They are the tourists with the money who can afford this sort of packaged tour of this part of the world.” he said. As a mountaineer, he found something almost sacrilegious in seeing tourists step from ski equipped planes on to a glacier in high heels or walking shoes, but that was what they wanted. “Tourists will go anywhere for a new experience." He said that in Alaska no one dared to set foot on a glacier unless they were suitably clad and equipped with tents and stoves and prepared to stay for some days if necessary.

Mr Thomas said that one': of the things which most im-1 pressed him during his flighth over the national park was the commentary provided by I the pilot. He said the pilot! was completely conversant with his subject, historically h and geographically, and des-1 cribed the weather and other I forces of nature as they affec-’ ted the country. This was I something air tourist groups I in the United States could’, well emulate, he said.

At a function arranged by the executive of the South! Island Publicity Association I yesterday, Mr Thomas was made an honorary “South! Islander” and presented with a suitably inscribed “natural-! isation” certificate by the | president of the association! (Mr H. P. Smith). Similar; certificates were presented to I others in his party. ’