EAST AND WEST BY MOTOR

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 127, 21 February 1908, Page 9

EAST AND WEST BY MOTOR

A SOUTH ISLAND TRIP. ' '■:■ RIVERS AND MOUNTAIN PASSES. J ..! |DX lE[.E(JRArii— SrEdjAL -CORRESrONUBNT.; , Christciiuroh, February 20. ,- ?The round trip from Christchiirch /to Nol- ;. son,and back, by: way of. the West. Coast, and Otira Gorge, has jinSt been done for time in a motor carby Mr. A; ' Macfarlane, ,' -of' Achray,/who. took a party. of 'bight in'his -, own car, a -12-10, h.p, Talbot, with a smaller i ear, for t-lio luggage. .Tho,feat.has:been he- ■ ilieyod. to. bo, impossible on account of .the > difficulty of - the rivers,; but,. though- ' trouble was 'anticipated in tho Conway and ' .tho..Mason (on; tho.eastcoa'st),'botli rivors ', word' found iii' good order, 1 , mid- the Beds were, .h'anli'atfd l fprdablo;'• :'.TJ»e'-Mason Riirer lias to, ; bo crossed about twenty- times pn. this "trip. • jThe' Rai' Volley, about twenty-eight' miles from Nelson, provided one : of 'th6"iuost ei-' ; citing portions of • the' trip.' The bush- was;blazing';, furiously; mid the • fires/ stopped tho .cars; tho party having to find accommodation at tho Rai Falls Hotel. Burning' logs lay along tho road, and itv became necessary to , .pick a. way •betwoeii: tlioini- often ■ with only a matter of inches to got tho cars through. Heavy rain served to subdue tho flames, and tho' party: wero able to procood. ' Tho 1 Warigarr.oa saddle was very.narrow and' was cbv-' . oral with : n'cw gravol. -It is 1100 feot above - tho; sba, arid .tho drivers foiind it : hard work to;cot' through.' r •: ; lTio highest'' poirit on the-'journey frotn .Nolson -to Jlurchißon was tho; Hope' Saddle (2300 ft:)',' and hero-the dust Was fearfully ■bad,' Tho ' roads ; word: dusty 'right' through' 'from./Flaxbourno / to; Greyhiouth:/ ■ Tho -trip ■ ■through tho Buller Gorge was ono of the' most , pleasant portions of tho joiirnoy.' : At .the Nine Milo,landing tlio motors woro taken O' or tho Bullor Rivqr/on - punts.: - .-Reefton ;was peached on Saturday, and tho party went 1 on toGreymouth' that day, Tho ..roads wero yory' had, '.and the/largo',boulders' in K 1 ®'- 9.r e yr,®iv. e r proved.(a' great'/anhoyahco;' I'rom ; Groymoutli: t-o : Ohira the roads wore good, nnd tho party had 110 troubles until Arthur's Pass , was reached, "whoro-'a' tyre ■Was punctured. Leaving-Otira.at 10.30'a.m:' , 9' 1 Monday, rthc - oars ' took "atx hour' -to " get ;*'?• w of the; Gorgo,'; thoughthis aection has fearful-grades. Tho ears actccl aplen•"dfe { throughout,-,.... Mr. .• Macfarlano's. big oar'..had chims round tho tyros, and though tho .rubber was'' wbrii-iir'places, there was plenty ,of'. life:.loft..in. thoni.' .-s-/ - -yc. ■'. 'A "-Tinios."•■.reporter■'! out'in^'a:*car' to/, 'moot tho • travellers 1 iit Porter's ' Pass;' Lcaving- tho'city. at.'s,'3o p.m.,-the-top 'of tho : Pass, was-'roacliod in-'jufit- two-hours: ■ " Far; below.- through.tho .misty" -he;writes, '-"could= bo; soeni tho .lamps of ''tho''wanderers''' oars,' making >1 bright! arcs, through' ,tho ' rapidlydarkening ; : night,- and : then- tho'' snorting,■ ruslimg/car drew-. upi besido , its' sister'-cars: 'in:: tho'; l -yalley of/,Lako ; 'Lyndbiij- 'with' ; :Bdn. - ■ Moro towering 011 one side- and Mount Tor--■lease on : tho other. After a few minutes in tlns/jsolitary. yalloy "a ; start was made, for Springfield., . -:j.. , : ' '.'.Tho jburney down 'PoVter's Pass was a unique''oxperienco;' It .'was. tho first timo ■that' a.: procession, of: motor-cars hadwound Jdown that historic -road. Round tho sharp curves/ the four cars ■; glided, 'and past tho ' ,;°Jd' Porter's /Pass Hotdl; - with its ancient''' sbd-walled stable where one could picture tho ' ■ S°psts 'of, the; gold . escort rising ■ startlod from' : . their, sleep, , arid so on down the valloy of the ' rjvc'r !: agam-.;and'. through'.'spliishirig 'streams ' and -/-water:- races, until - Springfield' h was reachcd.' s 'Then;'tho car's set ! cut' for 'the last ' stags:-of. ;tho/journey,' and', whirled merrily: into ' tab ■ /city,' 1 ! drawing ; nip .''ini -'Cathedrhl Square- at.. .L30.:;0n--AVoduesflay morning."