MOTORISTS' CAMP

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1931, Page 8

MOTORISTS' CAMP

MOA POINT PROPOSAL

ENCOURAGING VISITORS

Comment on the fact that Wellington was lagging behind other centre* in not having a motorists' camping ground was,made at last night's meeting of the- executive of the "Wellington Automobile Club. The opinion was that it was the duty of the City Council to provide a good site, and the hope was expressed that by the end of next year a good camping ground wb,uld be an established fact at Moa Point, at the eastern end of Lyall Bay. The chairman (Mr. B. A. Batt) said that with Mr. E. Palliser and the secretary (Mr. W. A. Sutherland) he had waited on the Town Clerk in regard to the council's letter, which asked the club to spend nearly £600 on a tempojary camping site at Lyall • Bay, giving in. return a special concession to members of automobile clubs. On the fac« of it the proposition was ridiculous. The club's money would have been sunk in a temporary, small area. . . Actually it. ought not to be .the function of. an automobile club to provide a camping ground: it was the duty of the City Council with, a view to encouraging .visitors from other parts of tho Dominion. The Teply received by the deputation was that the council did not ftave the money, and nothing could bo done. They left the Town Clerk and the Director of Reserves with a very clear understanding that the club would not put any money into a camp sito tinder similar conditions as had been proposed. Nothing could be done for the coming holidays, but it was hoped that a bigger camp site at Mpa Point, on the eastern site of Lyall Bay, would be available by the end;of next year. Mr. Batt said that recently a motorist from Auckland rang him at night at his house inquiring about the camp-ing-site in Wellington, and he had had ■to direct the visitor to Hutt Park. It was a reflection on the city, said Mr. Batt, that there was no motorists' camping ground. As a result of the interview he thought the position was understood much more clearly by the City Council officers'. It had been stressed that when the camp site was arranged it must be on comprehensive lines; If the camping ground was established at Moa Point he thought it would become very popular. Mr. I. V. Wilson said it was a great pity that the City Council had been unable to do something before the holiday period. Last Christmas time he visited a number of the camping grounds in' other parts of the North Island,: and with one exception he was unable to get into one. He thought that a good ground at Moa Point would be extremely popular because of the bathing facilities at Lyall Bay.

Mr. JJatt Baid that it had also been pointed out to the City Council officials that-the ground could be made a profitable proposition by using it for sports purposes during the winter months.