TOURIST RESORTS

Evening Star, Issue 18717, 20 August 1924, Page 2

TOURIST RESORTS

A GOOD YEAR. (From Oue Pasu-umentari Reporter.] WELLINGTON, August 19. An improvement during the past year is shown on the financial side in connection with the Government tourist resorts tluoughout tho dominion. The departmental report indicates that. Rotorua acclimatisation district- and Waitomo Caves, which arc meanwhile the only two paying propositions, were more profitable ttian in 1922-23. The former showed a profit, of £1,377, as against £617. and the latter a profit of £3,500, as against £2,160. To Aroha showed a loss of £1,457, as against £1.617; Rotorua, a- loss of £5,214, ns against, £5,537; Lake House. Waikanmnana, a loss of £159, as against £492; Queenstown, a, loss of £516, as against £530; and Glade House and the To AnauMilfonl track a loss of £597, as against £473. The department reports oue of the most successful seasons in its history. The total expenditure was £60,445, and Die receipts £45,704, an increase of £5,453. The less was the lowest since the inception of the department, except for the year 1916. The department has been sotting its bouse in order -by increasing accommodation at the resorts. Tourists who arrived last year totalled 7,522, as against 6,588. SOUTHERN RESORTS. A considerable increase in the Milford tourist track business is noted in the report. It adds that, there wore many heavy floods to contend with, but tho staff managed to get four large bridges erected, all culverts replaced, telephone wires placed in good order, and. the track generally well locked after. Up to March 31 420 people arrived at. Glade House. Most- of them went over the track, and did the return journey in five days and a-quartor, including the stay at Milford. This speaks well for the state of the track. The launches in Milford Sound were thoroughly overhauled and painted, and the engines are in first-rate running order. Regarding Queenstown and Stewart Island, it is stated that business has been very satisfactory this season in Southland, and the .Invercargill agent has been very busy. His sales of tickets have been £3,962, as against £2,246 for the previous year. Most of the tours were booked by local people. The Moeraki, which calls direct to Bluff from Melbourne every six weeks, brought a good number of tourists for Bluff on its November and January trips. A« in past years, the number of tourists who booked at northern offices and called at the local bureau for information on their way to the southern lakes and Stewart Island has increased. The number of maps and up-to-date pamphlets issued by the department has been appreciated. A number of local people called for a supply of these I to send to their friends overseas. Queenstown and Stewart Island were very popular, vs usual, and it was difficult to secure accommodation, especially at the latter resort during tho holidays. Neither of these trips is expensive; consequently they are well patronised by local people at excursion times. A new tri-weekly motor service was started at tho beginning of Ills season from Invercargill to Te Anau and Mana-poun. This induced more local people to do the Milford trip. A good service was maintained throughout the season at Queenstown. It. was decided, as the result of the Minister’s visit, to convert part of the. present bowling pavilion into a ton. kiosk. This kiosk is now being dealt with. The department has received many complimentary letters on the excellent state of the gardens at Queenstown.