Restaurant at Erewhon opened

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33942, 8 September 1975, Page 12

Restaurant at Erewhon opened

Between 15,000 and 20,000 overseas and New Zealand tourists, safari hunters, and other visitors were attracted to Erewhon Park each year, said the member of Parliament for South Canterbury (Mr R. L. G. Talbot), when he opened a new restaurant and lounge there on Saturday.

This was because of the accommodation and services provided at this famous high-country station, he said.

The venture was a most important one for MidCanterbury and for the whole of New Zealand, said Mr Talbot, attracting tourists with a wide diversity of interests.

The official guest list for the function was widely representative, including the Mayor of Ashburton (Mr D. O. Digby) and Ashburton borough and county councillors, representatives of the Ashburton Licensing Trust, representatives of mountain and hunting organisations, local businessmen, and directors of the Erewhon Park company. After luncheon in the new restaurant, guests were taken to the nearby Erewhon skifield. Messrs Talbot and Digby were among the more venturesome guests, and donned skis. BRILLIANT WEATHER

Brilliantly fine, warm weather prevailed for the opening. showing the panorama of high mountains and glacial river valleys to best advantage. Guests warmly supported Mr Talbot’s remarks in commending the initiative and foresight of Mr A. A. Urquhart, owner of Erewhon station, and chairman of directors of Erewhon Park, Ltd, and other directors of the company, for promoting “this very exciting development.” “What you have carried out here over a period of years has been most impressive, and of great importance

Ito this district,” Mr Talbot I said. The restaurant and lounge i occupy much of the former ■games room and bunk accommodation. Major building alterations and extensions have transformed the interior. The lounge and restaurant are each about 1000 sq. ft, fully carpeted, with beamed' ceilings enhancing the alpine theme. Substantial windows along one wall of the restaurant and lounge give diners and patrons a clear view of the Rangitata Valley, several miles wide at this point, and the Ben McLeod Range and Mesopotamia station country opposite. In the head of the valley, the view is dominated by Mount d’Archiac (9279 ft and its big icefields. The restaurant, lounge, and associated buildings were designed and constructed by C. Brake and Company. Mr Brake is a director of Erewhon Park, and has done all the building work associated with the tourist project. Other buildings nearby pro- | vide accommodation and set; vices for 50 visitors. STEADY GROWTH Mr Urquhart said that further accommodation was planned to cater for the steady growth in bookings from all categories of tourists, mountain sports enthusiasts, and holidaymakers. Mr Talbot said, when opening the restaurant, that he was most impressed with the diversified nature of the Erewhon Park tourist operations, catering for tramping, hunting. ski-iag, educational tours and Pus parties. Two thousand school children had visited the sta- [ tion on study and educational i tours in the last year, he said.