ANOTHER ROUTE

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 15, 17 July 1929, Page 6

ANOTHER ROUTE

NELSON TO WESTPOET

SERVICE CAR'S TRIP

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WESTPOHT, This Day

ilv. Jack Newman, general manager or! Newman Bros.' Royal Mail Motor Service, who came through from Nelson on Monday, was interviewed by a representative of the "Westport News," ana gave an account of his trip. ;

Mr. Newman stated that ho left Nelson at 5.30 on Monday morning and proceeded to Murchison ahead of the service cars which left at 8 o'clock in order to make sure that all arrangements were completed for the transfer of passengers. At the Six Mile slip he had arranged with Mr. Lynch to us(j. pack-horses to transport the passengers' luggage and mails as tar as necessary. On arrival at the Six Mile they found that the water of the lake had been backed up across the road owing to the heavy rain. When the service, cars arrived at 12.30 p.m., with nine through passengers, a boat was obtained to ferry the people across the sheet of water 50 yards wide. This was safely negotiated. The depth of the water was about 5 or 6 feet. Normally the lake was lower than the road. Once the tourists were across the lake, two pack horses were used for the next four miles. Lunch was obtained at the Public Works camp half a milo. beyond the lake, at 1 p.m. At this point three of the passengers, who were liiemeu going to join their boat at Westport, left the party and went back to the car. Their liquid refreshments had evidently damped their ardour for the rest of the journey. STIFF WALK. After lunch the party commenced to walk in earnest, and, after negotiating terraces, bush tracks, and ,slips for about two and a half miles, they arrived at 3.45 p.m. at the end of the walking part of the. trip. After waiting tor about half an hour they hailed with joy the appearance of a ear from Reefton. They proceeded on up the Matakitaki valley. As the journey continued the signs of the earthquake became less marked, the only indications being one or two slips on the Maruia Saddle (which is 1780 feet above the sea level) Some of the corners were very sharp and would have to be cut away and much improved before the road could be used regularly for motor traffic. A Pleasant run was experienced down the Warwick Valley as far as Lester's accommodation House, which was reached at 5.45 p.m. Here the party had tea, and started off again at 6.30 p.m. following up tho Maruia River until they came to Williscroft's, where a conveyance was waiting to haul tho tourists across the river, which was too hieh tor tho cars" to negotiate. SNOW ENCOUNTERED. They started off again up, the Rahu baddle and ran into snow, which was lying a foot deep in places. This part ot the road was going to be very rough unless the Main Highways Board cleared off the snow and did a considerable amount of metalling. The Eahu Saddle was about 1800 feet above the sea level. Although both tho Maruia and Rahu Saddles are about the same height there was no sign of snow on the Maruia Saddle. From both of these saddles a beautiful panorama was obtained of the surrounding country. From the foot of the Rahu Saddle the tourists followed^ the Inangahua River'to Reefton, passing on the way the old quartz mining settlements Keep It Dark, Progress, Wealth of Nations, ami others, arriving at Reefton at 0 30 p.m. EQUAL TO BULLER GORGE. "The section from Springs Junction to hoof ton," states Mr. Newman "is undoubtedly tho prettiest of the wholo trip, and equals iv grandeur the best parts of the far-famed Buller Gorgo " lho hnal'lap to Wostport was begun ?£.,„ p-m -' and they arrived there at 12.30 a.m. > Mr. Nowmau said that it was intonded to proceed with a daily servico by tins rou to, and it was hoped to cut down the time by at least throe hours and eventually, when the slip is cleared and a through run with ono car is obtained, to do tho trip from Nelson to lveetton in 11 hours and to Westport in 13 J hours. In summer timo and under favourable conditions times would be improved much further. Tho extra distanco from Nelson to Westport was 63 miles; while tho Maruia route would prove useful as «v emergency, tho need for hastening with tho reopening of tho old Lycll routo could not bo stressed too much. LANDMARK STILL VISIBLE.

Asked regarding the Old Man of tho Buller, ono of the outstanding features of tho Buller Gorge route,, Mr. Newman stated that there was no apparent ehango viowed from tho Buller River side of tho old route, but on tho Haruia sido big slips were noticed. This gavo rise to the belief that this notable landmark had been obliterated.