UNUSUAL TOURIST

Grey River Argus, 15 February 1938, Page 2

UNUSUAL TOURIST

Over Haast Pass With Bjicycle PRAISES LABOUR GOVERNMENT. In the course of a world trip, which began with a nine-month’s residence in the North Island of New Zealand, followed by a two-thousand-mile cycle trip in Australia this summer, Mr K. C. Annakin, a young Yorkshireman, arrived on Sunday at Greymouth, in continuation of his tour. Beginning his South Island tour by cyclq at the Bluff, he passed leisurely through the southern lakes and effected a crossing through the Haast Pass after a fortnight’s travel. It was during this trip, after encountering bad weather, that he lost his .machine at the second ford in the Haast River. Otherwise he would certainly have been the first to bring 0 bicycle over this hazardous routeStruggling to hold the machine against the rapids, he was compelled to let the machine go. Mr Annakin will continue his tour on foot, visiting the Buller district on his way to Nelson. The Haast Pass, said Mr Annakin, provided one of the choice scenic routes in the Dominion. As it will take about ten years to complete the route, the authorities, he said, would be wise to make the route more pass- . able with the erection of wire guide bridges and numerous direction crosses. If it desired to make the route a popular one, more provision should be made for trampers, who would then publicise it "As all travellers say, New Zealand’s scenery is undoubtedly magnificent, and the Tourist Department has told this to the world pretty efficiently,” he'said. “At the same time little is really known about New Zealand, especially in Australia.” Ha felt that a great deal could be done by the exhibition of scenic films of New Zealand life to the Australian public. One thing he observed was that the scenery in Australia, particularly New South Wales, was much more beautiful and varied than was generally thought by New Zealanders and would well repay a visit by them. So far as politics were concerned, the feeting that he had gathered was that the present New Zealand Government was much sounder than any State Government in Australia. In New Zealand a great number of people had confidence in the Labour Government’s policy, and even its opponents admitted the qualities of its political leaders. Politics were regarded as a joke by most Australians. His personal observations were that, although he found the Australians very good-hearted and hospitable, he preferred New Zealand. Here, he said, the country and the people were less hard. In Australia the scene was unusually gaunt and sun-baked, whereas in New Zealand, the lines of hill and plain were soft, green and merely sun-kissed. This might or might not have some effect on the personal character. There was no denying that, whereas the Australian would do one a good turn, if asked, but the New Zealander, especially on the West Coast, went out of his way to help a person.