This man has millions (but they’re worth nothing)

Press, 8 July 1976, Page 26

This man has millions (but they’re worth nothing)

When Julius Ba lough, manager of the Marlborough Sounds Portage Hotel, returned from a visit to his Hungarian homeland last month, he brought millions of dollars back with him. Unfortunately, the nionev is worthless. The money Julius brought back with him is Hungarian currency which was used in the Depression, when ten million “per.go” ccuid not buy a loaf of bread. Julius said he could remember his father taking a suitcase to work every payday, to carry all the money. “They wouldn’t even count it. they’d just grab an armful, and cram it into his su’tcase. Then he’d go straight to the shop to buy groceries, and he’d just empty the suitcase on to the counter.” “But the money wasn’t even worth the paper it was printed on, and it still isn’t —- or I'd be a rich man,” he joked. During his trip to Hungary, Julius said he saw many things which could be incorporated in the New Zealand trade, and which could apply particularly to the Portage Hotel. “Many American and European tourists like to hunt,” he said. “In their own country it can cost them hundreds of dollars to shoot a deer, or a wild pig, or even a duck or a pheasant. All around the Portage is some of the best pig hunting to be found anywhere — and farmers are practically screaming out to get rid of them. I believe this is something big which the

area, and in fact the whole of New Zealand could promote.” Julius said the Marlborough Sounds could be develped to a higher degree without necessarily narming the environment. “At the height of the season, we have a thou-, sand people a day through here, and it’s the same story at other guest houses around the Sounds. The area touid do with more accommodation facilities.” Apart from the tourist industry though, Julius, a former engineer, has other interests. At the moment he is writing a Hungarian recipe book. “Over the last few years, the New Zealand housewife has become a lot more adventurous in her cooking — especially : n the use of herbs and spices — and I think Hun-1 garian cookery would appeal to many New Zealanders.” As far as the Portage Hotel itself is concerned Julius has many plans, al- i though they may bej thwarted by the Marlbor-I ough County Council’s proposed district scheme. “The proposals put restrictions on building in i the Sounds area, and I| would like to build some new units, and to replace others, but I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do it if the| scheme is brought in.” A wharf near the hotel also needed replacing, he said, because it was unsafe, but the Marlborough Har-i hour Board had done nothing about it. There were many things which could be done in the Marlborough Sounds to at. tract more people to the, area, aaid Julius, without j I

destroying the Sounds’ character. “The comments in our gUest book say things like paradise’ and ‘heaven,’ and if the development is done properly, this area could become *paradise’ or just a break from the rat-race for a lot more people.”