HOSTEL FOR TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 288, 5 September 1928, Page 12

HOSTEL FOR TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK

TO COST £65,000 CLIMAX TO FIVE YEARS OF LABOUR FRANCHISE TO SYNDICATE Arrangements have been brought to finality for the erection of a hostel witli furnishings in the’ Tongariro National Park, at ah approximate cost of £65,000, a franchise having been granted to a syndicate, which includes Air. R. L. Wigley, managing director of the Mount Cook .Motor Co., whose experience in tourist work will be placed at the disposal of the syndicate. At. a special meeting of the Tongariro Park Board, held at the office of the chairman, Mr. J. B. Thompson (Under-Secre-tary of Lands), yesterday afternoon, important business was transacted in completing arrangements between the Park Board and a syndicate of well-known business men, enabling the issue of a lease of certain areas within the park to be made to the syndicate. Some two years ago the Park Board offered by advertisement a liberal franchise to any company desirous of erecting a hostel within the park area. Financial stringency at that time militated against definite offers being received, and the board later on decided to proceed with a limited building programme of a progressive nature, involving about £6OOO for a start. However, for some little time negotiations have been quietly proceeding with a syndicate which desired to avail itself of the hostel franchise, and yesterday the board unanimously confirmed the negotiations of the chairman, and ‘agreed to the'memorandum of agreement between the syndicate and the board, and also to the draft lease being executed. Government Approves. The Government has approved of the general policy and the agreement and proposed lease, subject to such minor alterations in the agreement and lease as the Attorney-General may deem advisable. The Prime Minister has expressed, himself as being entirely in favour of private enterprise being given an opportunity of establishing and conducting hostels in national parks, as is the case in Canada and the United States of America. » The chairman stated that the Prime Minister’s sympathies and personal help had put the board in the position it was in to-day. thus allowing of an advanced step to be taken regarding national parks'. It was stated that the syndicate would have experience behind it in launching the scheme, and that the managing director of the Mount Cook Motor Company (Mr. R. L. Wigley) was one of the syndicate, thus auguring well for future management. Ready Next Year. > The syndicate contracts to erect a building to cost, exclusive of furniture, £40,000 as a minimum, and with an obligation ,to go to £60,000 if required. Plans are being prepared, and a start will be made with erection about December next, while it is hoped to open the building about December, 1929. Ample Accommodation. The proposed hostel will be of striking appearance and will contain many special features. It will, be of two dr three stories high, substantially built of concrete blocks reinforced with steel, with a basement under the building. It will be roofed with tiles or slates. The accommodation will include a large lounge 60ft. x 40ft., a dining-room 40ft. by 50ft.. bedroom accommodation will include hot and cold water laid on to each room, and a fair percentage of these rooms will be divided' into suites with private bathrooms,. The total number of bedrooms will be between 75 and 100. The building will be fitted with steam and electric cooking plant, hotwater service, central heating, electric light and modern sanitary conveniences throughout. Provision will be made in the basement for a billiard-room, kinema, playroom for children, bakehouse, also a public store and an extensive dryingThe arrangements arrived at, will be another link in the tourist chain of the Dominion, and the Tongariro National Park will now be in the position of offering every variety of accommodation, ranging from camp to de luxe quarters, as the company has to specially cater under its franchise for young people, and also for those requiring the very best class of accommodation. The site selected fdr the erection of the hostel is Whakapapa, where commanding views of all the mountain peaks and surrounding country will be obtained. Mr. Hall, of Timaru, is the architect for the new building. When the foregoing business, which was taken in committee, was complete, members of the board were most enthusiastic in their commendation of the great amount of work the chairman had undertaken in order to bring the.scheme to successful fruition, and were generally desirous that their appreciation should be recorded on the minutes. It was stated that the decision represented the culmination of labours over the past five years, during which the board has sought to evolve a scheme for establishing adequate hostel accommodation at Tongariro National Park. Only last January, the board held its halfyearly meeting at the Park, and selected the site of the new hostel and other accommodation which it proposed to provide out of its own funds, as the franchise offered had not been taken up. The plans .were approved at the same meeting, but they were.necessarily restricted to the limited finance which was available, the board only having about £5OOO in hand at . that time. Since that time the syndicate was formed to take up the franchise, ami the negotiations were successfully concluded yesterjlay. The plans passed last January were rescinded by the meeting yesterday.