Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 25 October 1930, Page 4

On Tuesday last a. sedan motor car left Christchurch tit 7.5 in the morning, and reached Greymouth at 12,5. ! After 55 mi mites stay, the oar left again at 1 p.m,, and was back in Christchurch at 6.18. The round trip of 310 miles was accomplished jn 10 hours 13 minutes. Here i,s evidence of the growing contiguity of the East and West Coasts. The motor spin was undertaken at the instigation of the Canterbury Antonio hole Association to draw attention to the need lot bridges along the route specially on the East Coast side, and particularly across the Waimakariri river at the Healey crossing. The time of the journey, however, suggests that the road generally must he in ve T y good order. This is known to be generally the case, but it is a fact that motoring east and west or .vice versa is affected greatly by the river and creek crossings. The Waimakariri is a notable bugbear to. all travellers, and most motorists are towecl over the stream. In this week’s run above referred to there was 3 .feet 6 inches of water in the river, so that under moat favourable circumstances it is often touch and g;o whether motor cars may get through. In addition to the major river corssing, there are also the creek streams, including notably Pegleg, Bruce’s, Claws, Craigeburn, etc.—all lesser streams, but still very troublesome on occasions. Motorists using the south load will remember that when the main bridges went up, there remained till recently several troublesome creek crossings, end that experience is often happening to motorists on the East nnd West Coast trip. There was a time when Otira Gorge had some terrors for the motorists, 'but that stage isf long past, the high powered engines making lifrht work of the climb. Ac- j tually it is the river crossings only . which bar the road from being an all | v/eabher ;vo (v?, and if t<he 'Government can be induced to- push on the J work, a great, service will be- done the travelling public. The latest episode in connection with crossing the Island should make the possibilities of the trip clear to all authorities interested in opening up the country, '