ASCENT OF MT. TASMAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 107, 7 May 1936, Page 5

ASCENT OF MT. TASMAN

AN INTERESTING LECTURE

Probably the'largest audience that has ever been present at an alpine lecture in Wellington filled the Masonic Hall last night, when Mr. Alan C. Browne, F.R.G.S., A.R.C.A., an.English artist, showed an exceedingly beautiful collection of slides and described in simple but vivid language the only ascent this season- of New Zealand's great ice peak, Mount Tasman. The slides, which were hand-painted by the artist, were received with frequent and spontaneous applause. , .

The Mayor, Mr. T. C. A. Hislpp, who presided, said that Mr.; Browne, had travelled very widely, both here and in Great Britain, and' had done the best that he could —which was a very great deal—to show to the people of the Old Country some of the beautiful things that are to be seen in New Zealand.

j Mr. Browne said that he loved the New Zealand mountains, and particularly that most lovely part of them about the Franz Josef and the Fox Glaciers. The beauties 'of New, Zealand were not well known in Great Britain ■ and of one of the, beautiful places, the West Coast, there was almost complete ignorance. He had spent several years on the West Coast painting and preparing lectures which he had taken back to" Great Britain. Last year he had returned to New Zealand, and for seven months had been photographing and climbing on the West Coast. ' ."'■■...■■"■■•

The slides,-which are said to be the finest of Mount Tasman ever produced, described the scene from Hokitika to Waheka, a delightful excursion to Gillespie's Beach, and up the Fox Glacier to Chancellor Ridge Hut and Pioneer Bivouac —the smallest and highest human habitation in New Zealand, and so to the summit of Mount Tasman.

The views of the great peaks of the Divide from Gillespie's Beach, from an aeroplane above Waheka, and as reflected in a roadside pool, were beautiful, and the audience heartily applauded them. Particularly appreciated, too, was. a suite of three slides from Lake Matherson, showing the early morning clouds withdrawing their veils from the. summits of the two ice giants, Mounts Cook and Tasman. , ■

Slides taken on the way up to Chancellor Ridge Hut showed some of the fine ferns and mountain flowers to be met by the traveller. Pictures of the knife-like ridges of ice that have to be traversed to the summit emphasised the grandeur of that wonderful peak. It has been said that introduction of the moving picture has made lantern slides out of date. , This will not. be., however, until films show the exquisite ranges of colour . that" were shown by Mr. Browne's, slides, not until a camera is; devised .that could be taken on such very difficult climbs.

At the termination of the lecture Mr Browne was heartily applauded.