THE HERMITAGE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 22, 27 January 1915, Page 4

THE HERMITAGE

SIR JOHN FINDLAY'S SUGGESTIONS. The necessity of increasing the accommodation at the Hermitage was stressed by Sir Jolin Findlay in an interview which he gave a Christchurch News reporter after his arrival in Timaru from Mount Cook. "While I was there," he said, "as many as three visitors ha-d to sleep in one room. While the popularity of Mount Cook is steadily increasing, the accommodation available should also increase. Another urgent need is a lawn tennis court, and also a croquet lawn for visitors who are not able, or do not wish to climb. Certainly, there are several short, pleasant walks which everyone can take, but if visitors are staying any time, repetition of a limited number of walks becomes wearisome. It would be a great attraction to those who go to Mount Cook for health or recreative purposes to be able to get tennis or croquet when they so desired, and a court and lawns could be provided at a very small outlay, there being ample suitable flat land beside the present building. "Another thing which demands immediate attention is the hot water sup* ply. It will readily be understood that climbers require hot baths when they return from a day's excursion, and as nearly everyone at the Hermitage takes exercise of some description, and baths are in almost constant requisition, the demands on the hot water supply, it can be imagined, are very large. The present supply is quite inadequate, and most of the visitors have to put up with cold baths. The manager does his best to cope with the difficulty, but that leaves matters in the condition 1 have described. There is sUch an ample supply, of water that there would be no dilficulty whatever in providing in a picturesque spot near the Hermitage a swimming bath. There is a small natural basin there into which the water could be led, and as it is exposed to the sun ail day it would make quite an admirable swimming bath. I found that this proposal met with universal approval among the numerous visitors who were at the Hermitage while I was there. " The new Muller hut, which we reached by climbing the Sealey face, is proving one of the most attractive of the huts. It can be reached easily by poor climbers, who can remain there the night, obtain a glorious view, and return to the Hermitage at any easy pace in a few hours. It is a great mistake for people to assume that there are no attractions at Mount Cook for those who are not prepared to do high climbing. There is abundant variety of scene and exercise apart from climbing peaks. There is the most gorgeous scenery in New Zealand, and above all the healthsome and stimulating air of an altitude of 2500 ft (the altitude of the Hermitage). The weather while I was there was broken, but we were able to get outl every day, with one exception."