THREAT TO FRANZ Townspeople see an end to their hopes...

Press, 6 December 1979, Page 21

THREAT TO FRANZ Townspeople see an end to their hopes...

Despondency hangs over rhe tourist industry in the Franz Josef area. The despondency has resulted from the wash-out of the glacier road, the general economic situation, and earless days and petrol restrictions, according to the proprietor of the Franz Josef tearooms, Mr J. de Ville. The National Park Board had rejected the use of helicopters to ferry tourists to the Franz Josef Glacier, said Mr R. Fegan, a souvenir-shop owner and chairman of the Franz Josef Glacier Road Access Council. The council has written to the Ministers of Tourism, Works and Lands, the National Travel Association. the South Island Promotion Association, and the Tour Drivers’ Guild,” said Mr Fegan. “The member of Parliament for the West Coast, Mr T. K. Burke, has made a personal visit. He is most concerned, and we have outlined the idea of a new, alternative route.”

The Westland National Parks Board will provide a temporary access up the glacier road. It has said that it would pay for the work from its own funds, because it is trying to keep faith with the local people. “It is still public money,” said Mr Fegan. “A temporary access could still be subject to the vagaries of the weather. “The park board has turned down the use of helicopters. That is against the wishes of the local people, and it is restricting the chances of visitors.” said Mr Fegan. A new management plan for the area proposed to close the Franz Josef Valley to all aircraft. “It is apparently because of noise, and disturbing people’s peace in the park. I’ve never heard any complaints,” Mr Fegan said. Another smaller glacier in the region was proposed to be included in a wilderness area.

Mr Fegan said that two overseas skiers wanted to

be taken up high on to the glaciers, then wanted to ski down to the Chancellor Hut, and lifted out again. Permission for an airlift was refused. “Who wants to climb all that way burdened with gear and skis?” he said. Visitors had also inquired about fishing in the area, but fishing is banned in the national pant. Mr de Ville estimates that his tearooms have lost 30 per cent of their business. He started with a take-away bar “with a few plated meals.” Since then he has developed a 60-seat restaurant and his charges have almost doubled, but financially he is behind. He admits to having had plans to expand but has since abandoned them. “It’s important to have the glacier road restored as far as the car-park. People coming to New Zealand know about the glaciers. They want to see them; other attractions on the West Coast are ancillary,” said Mr de Ville.

“They see bush on the highway between Otira and Greymouth. They don’t want to travel another 200 miles to Franz Josef just to see more bush. They want to see the glaciers.” Mr de Ville said many people could not walk four or five kilometres to see them. The section of the access road cut was covered by about six metres of riverbed gravel which made it difficult to walk on.

Mr B. McLennan, the proprietor of Glacier Motors, Ltd, said that the situation had not affected his business very much. “The word has got about that you cannot see the glacier at all, but that’s not correct,” he said. “Not the whole road has gone, only a section.” Mr McLennan said that

petrol restrictions at week-ends did not greatly affect his business, because most of his customers were rental car and camper van drivers, who were exempt. “It’s bad new's for glacier excursion trips from here,” said the manager of the Franz Josef Hotel (Mr J. Reid). “The guided tours have slumped. We have only two guides at present. Normally we would be about to start a third.

building up to five at the peak of the season. “I cannot see us putting a third guide on before Christmas.” The guided tours on to the glacier normally took three hours; now they take five, “but people just don’t have that time.” Two-night stays at Franz Josef were becoming less common. “If they cannot get up on to the glaciers, they feel that they should press on and spend the extra day somewhere else,” Mr Reid said. “A temporary track will not be able to take the buses. “We thought that the use of helicopters would solve the problem but that has not been allowed by the park board,” said Mr Reid. The park board has allowed helicopter access to continue only to the Fox Glacier. The deputy general manager of the Tourist Hotel Corporation (Mr M. Hoy) said that it would ask the park board to reconsider its decision in view of the adverse effects on the Franz Josef Hotel and other local tour-ist-oriented businesses.

Story by

PAT TAYLOR

Pictures by

PETER RICHIE