1840—NEW ZEALAND—1940 CENTENARY

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1936, Page 2

1840 —NEW ZEALAND — 1940 CENTENARY

'Suggested National Commemoration,. Westland-Otago-Soutiiland Centenary Highway. ACCLAIMED THE FINEST TOURIST ROUTE IN THE DOMINION—THE VERDICT OF MAN\ WORLD TRAVELLERS.— THE WORLD’S WONDER DRIVE. ' : \ ' HOKITIKA, May 28ili, 1000. RIGHT HON. THE PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND, AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, WELLINGTON. SUGGESTED CENTENARY HIGHWAY. i Rt. Hon. Sir and Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislature—..N y In March last I had the honour of addressing you in respect to the New Zealand Lcntenaryy suggesting for consideration “a great loading scheme to open up a motor touring route w hich lor variety aild charm would be the envy of the world in the matter of drawing visitors to the Dominion 'from all quarters overseas.” •Since then* due to the announcement of the proposal in the.public press, many remarks of commendation have been received, and the matter was so favourably discussed generally,. that T venture to again' address you, hoping that uoav there has been time for consideration of the project, the piesent will be found a favourable opportunity to re-open the question. Admittedly, it is a large question, but its importance is being so recognised, that to quote only one comment by a- North Island paper, “the road.would provide one of the most famous trips in the world,” such a conclusion warrants the subject being submitted for earliest consideration. • v /'/ ; VALUED TOURIST TRAFFIC. % y ' New Zealand of late is coining more and more into the lime-light of the' world as a tourist resold. The Government is spreading out the system of representatives do various quarters of the globe with the; object of ••advertisiiig the attractions of the Dominion for hol’d ay tours. Ronrrsentai i\ es «u o. established in! the .United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and the East, lhoy are.:all locations, notable for scenic wares' of their, own which are advertised on a lavish. pubiici v. scale; and each in turn receives valued attention, the,return to eayh country from tourist tiatin running into ylarge sums. • o ' . | • •• New .Zealand, to compete with such rivals and reach - the Antipodes;-Acquires. to have something Y'hicjiiih the main must cover long distances to '-maintain- Jlystream of tourist f 'anic <liffepeiit,y’ toycatph the interest of the world traveller if lie or she ds to invade fresh fields a voistnui points .In' greater .number. The Dominion has certain unique attractions which are outstanding to draw people;from Tong distances, but to increase the number of tourists now that Guppm!! ,am aerial’travel-comfbrt .-are'be’n«r enhanced and travel time shortened, it ivo dd b:> wise v ' Pl !' * M ’' 1 ir ? ofter,- to increase those outstanding attractions where they are li>«l\yto become aa o’ld-fan ons. ;yV Such is the; asset in South Westland. It is a natural wonderland created with unending scenes of.charm, and varied in variety from mountain to busliland, lake to river,-- table land Jo fiord land, 1,1 such profusion that there are grouned the greatest number of nali” ,f »l wom'ers of i'at p .yc s ham iwork m a'stretch of territory which lends itself to road construction, requiring only the applied genius of the engineers to mark out the route through country which remains in Lie main, after nearly 1U) years,, still Grown lands and the people’s valued heritage.

. EARLIEST INTEREST IN ROADINC. j ■ All This is not any new discovery. The scenic wealth (apart from the other treasure to he won ..as., the countryside is opened up) has been known since the earliest investigations by Europeans. Dr Julius Yqn HuastTn 1863 teamed out an exploratory tour from the Otago side, starting from Lake .Wanaka, and discovered Haast*Pass, only 1716 feet above sea level, of which he wrote: —* . ' .yj A remarkable Pass was found, which in a chain of such nmg’tilnde as the Southern Alps of New Zealand, is probably without parallel in the-k'nowiK world. . ! : -.;Again, 'he Avrites after ascending Mount Brewster on the “Divide” between Otago and M esUand, commanding .the Haast Pass panorama: — • ; i’^A/Erpm l the;. slopes'of this grand mountain from an r.li.itrde of (about .feet, we bad a \ y ■ t A,magnificent view of the Southern Alps. Lake Wa-nuka-appeared,far in the south, its blue, •. w-Vinlrror-like surface set amongst wild, i - mountains. All lomul us rose peak almv? peak, their rocky pinnacles' towering- in grand majesty above the snow and ice upon their fl inks; • ;..V- whilst deep below us in narrow gorges we could look upon the foaming waters of the torrents almost at our feet. The whole formed a picture of such' wild beauty that it can never be effaced from my memory.”

Incidentally, Dr Haast makes a reference to the class of country in South Westland. In liis report he says:—

“Jackson Bay from Arnott Point and south for about 35 miles was an extensive

. plain, stretching from the sea to the base of ofche Coast ranges, land (Containing about •80.000 acres 'of level land; this plain was the united delta of four different rivers which flow into the Bay.”

: The last quotation is of interest because, the fiver flats land of Westland is’ the ititost productive. Apart from the four rivers fefeif.ed to by Dr. Haast, which are probably the- Waiatoto, Arawata, Turnbull and. Jackson, Mr, W. D. Nolan, a life-long settler of Okuru, Has written also about the value of fhe extensive land area in the Haast river Vraterkhed , which is. considered “one of the most ; fertile river valleys in Westland.”

PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT .INTEREST.

It is' of. interest perhaps to recall early officials’ visits to the Jackson Bay district, MK‘Vincent Pyke (Otago Goldfields Secretary), crossed by; Haast Eass in 1865, nearly,, two months being 1 occupied in the round trip. Hon, Chas. Woofcock (Public Works' about 1875, Hon. James Macandrew, Minister, of Public Works, visited Jackson Bay in. ,1878, by steamer, when a request for a Jetty was preferred. The late 11. J. Seddon lhade-several visits to the Far South. Et. Hon. J. G. Coates when Minister of Public Works, iude through South Westland, and across the Haast Pass, when he stated that “ he doubted if the Haast Pass for scenic grandeur had a rival in the world.” Hons. E-.; Semple, and P. C. Webb flew from : Weheka to Jackson Bay and returned by air - (accompanied by the Engineer-in-Chief) in January:of this year, and among the requests made by the residents was a revival of the application for the ietty at Jackson Bay—still an outstanding requirement for effective development. Many Government officials also made visits, including such men as Dr Hector, James McEerrow, G. Mueller, D. Hutchison (who superintended the first track

across the Haast Pass), J. M. Blackett, and s A Barron. The last mentioned, in 1884, gave k very favourable report on the country, and. reiterated the request for the jetty.

HOLLYFORD VERSUS HAAST.

‘ ■ ' These remarks are impressive, for they have,, been verified in after years by many am leave no doubt, as to the surpassing natural beauty tp be? found along;--the route. -Indeed, siddi yigneUes 1 of South; Westland bush and mountain scenery are recorded from the impressions of all travellers passing throtlgh the great wonderland.

In the passage of time the question has arisen about a second route, known as the Holl yfofd. Wi th tlf e extension of a tourist -road up the Eglinton Valley en route to Milford Sound, the possibility of joining up with the South Westland road, has become a live issue. Plans are on record and some evidence: of work performed in respect to the road, in ' question are in existence, done many ye&rs ago, but the work was suspended. When the rival propositions were submitted to Thomas Pall, Esq., District Engineer, Dunedin, he was good enough to supply the following interesting report:— ... . .“In reply to your letter I have to advise that both the llaast Pass route and the Mil-ford'road ' connection have been investigated and reported on. • The Haast Pass connection would bo the cheaper inter-provincial conned ion, but the connection to Hollyford Valley, on the Milford road has the merit, that besides making a con-

section '"invaluable to tourists, -would' also open up the country between therJEaast river and the. Holly ford Valley. This loading would ultlnpuely be required even if the Haast Pass connections were completed

The distance from llaast to

Makarora is approximately 4T miles and would cost £4,000 per mile including- bridging. The distance from Haast to the junction of Te* Anau-Milford main highway in the Holly-ford* Valley is-' 110 miles and*a good route can he obtained:. The route would cross the.-flat country be-> tween the Haast River and the Arawata River, then proceed via Jackson River to the) Martyr River crossing a low saddle about 600 feet high. “It would then proceed via the Hope river to the Coast, crossing the Martyr River and Cascade River. From Hope River to Big Bay the road would follow the Coast, and then across flat country to the Pvke River. It would then follow down the Pvke River to its junction with the Ilollyford River to Milford road. The whole route would be oh easy grades with no high saddles and could be constructed, including bridging, for about £2,500 per mile. The estimates of cost are approximately only, as you will realise that without detailed survey and the labour cost uncertain, a closer estimate is not possible.”

VIEWS OF A MOUNTAINEER.

The subject matter was put, also, to A. I\ Harper, Esq., of Wellington, wlio, in years past, lias traversed much of mountain' fastnesses of the South. He. has made the following special po.iits :—: . r

“The matter has two aspects: (1), the local advantage from development, and. (2), the local gain lrom tourists passing through. . If (1) is the objective the Haast Hass read is f undoubtedly the best, i but I cannot > agree < that it is if (2) is the objective.

“One of our major attractions will be Milford Sound. JKople arriving in (say) Wellington wish to include branz' Josef, Hermitage, and Milford Sound in their itinerary. Their time may be limited and they may not w ant to go over the same ground tw ice. ±Jy the Liollyford route they go down from iNelson and Franz Josef Olacier, then on to Milford .Sound —thence out to the East Coast and up to the Hermitage. Tv the Haast route they have to travel in to Milford and out again by the same route and go over that portion twice. This is w hat I think requires consideration, provided the extra cost of the Hollyford route is not excessive.

“The fact that they cap get direct to Milford, vui the Coast,, and cpme out via the East Coast over new ground, will induce everyone to go or return via the West Coast. I honestly believe that this would attract more people your way. . However, if the pioposed road is “prima to combine a scenic route with development of the country, of course the Haast Piss is unchallengeable.

Further Engineering Conclusions.

To an enquiry for a plan to illustrate the route, It. Trevor Smith* Esq., District

.Kngineer at (ireyniouth, stated:— # . “The i a forma t ion I have at my disposal is as yet too meagre to allow me to give a considered opinion on tin* merits o| the ditVerent routes, hut 1 have a distinct liking 1 for the Hollyford connection in that it wmild far surpass anything we have in JTew Zealand as a tourist route, iind would also open np good conn try. - _ “1 have thought, of the stock connection for Okuru and Haast to Otago, but it would appear

that tljns .is satisfactorily given by the present Haast Pass tiaek. , • THE SCENIC GLORIES. j ■ These officials’ 'Views are interesting as showing- the practical attention given to a feasible pi opo-| sition: - The scenic aspect could oc enlarged on to very w liiuits, out it snuunt sun.ce 101 t P , *e®to fetM 1 tiffi ’ lhipresisions’ of- -mb Llsie K Merton recorcUnl m a late issue of^, ou f Ways Magazine"" *’ folio-wing a dorse back trip cbvn the Holly ipid Wility, and c . j Mltirt:W J Ue4isWfo ‘Ja’cksoh'jiay and the Arawata > alley. Puss’Morton | - > 'i ' ‘‘The u'aper we penetrated into tn e I,otter lioilyford, tile more impressive grew the sceneiy,, ,(; i V grand and rugged the country and mgner the mountains, until tuey reached the,. !,v. : pinhacie poiiit di grandeur at the Lyke Kiver Here there opened out a stupendous pano-,. ;i• i'; '. iasii, lake and river, unexcelled anywhere m 1; lorcuanil—indeed m itetv Zea a ,|b , ‘ .The Lyke hows out of Lake Alabaster, and winds a shining silver nbaiit the •. i: the' lhoiaitaih gods, whose gloiy ciunnnates m majestic l utoko, over J, »<)U feet m hei» t, <pkh‘ tii’ Dei feet ion from Pvke Hut. We found a boat a little tvay up the river, and vent ; ' ibwing "next morning on Alabaster, a loveW lake that mirrored all the beauty of its mate - less forests and mountain setting. AN AERIAL PICTURE. ' : In in aerial trip; over portion of South Westland, a re, cut visitor, Carrie,! array l.y the scenes beV~ then'on'To Oliimi !l,e brave lone outpost of civilisation r -r tsya S’ -pt as ■ ■■ rt,b ! v fed of autumn-tinted birch, fields of a golden yellow, crowning the head ot this ’l alley ' of l>el?-Ut Five Finger* -Mountains, An lys Glae.cr, ami tire Cascade waterfall Ihe Valley itself appears to be a home for tui*, pigeons, parad.se and blue duck, and In act ■ r 1 iSv'riinive bird unfamiliar Co the every-day mortal. If a traveller lived to be ,one (■s;>: hundred years, this would remain, one of lire most ntcmorable experience of a lrfetone. oyo; ■ THE NEGLECTED ASSET. ;i ' Xhe bnlv note to he added seems to bo a reminder to the Hon. Gentleman addressed that all this gurgeons scenery is stored away in southern Westland, waiting access to reveal its gleries to the oih-urTii'nialiy once the territory is penetrated by motor road access particularly, that additional novelties add Setions in the way of waterfalls lakes, glaciers and forest giants will be reyfealed hud‘ continue to add to the variety and chaim ot the tup.

Here is.an outside report on the project which appeared recently m a North Island paper, and it will'be noted the-rfemarks are founded on niformaiion • from un official source. Incidentally , sucli a Taypnfra ( bie report from so far afield is further eonfirnia.lion of the genuineness of the roadmg pro--position.‘ The newspaper proceeds;— . “If the connecting road were built, visitors could l.e taken by sea to Milfoid Sound, come - - tlifcmgK; the Lglinton Valley, to Queeustown, ,sce all ceau-al and the L^es^ diski.cL anU Theh passing through Makarora, .at the head of Lake Wanaka, cross. ovei the Haast Td the’-Fok and Franz Josef Glaciers, and. so on, east through the Gtira. - Gorge to Ln s - cliurbhrOr, alternatively north through the famous Duller Tassi to Nelson. " of its short mileage, the round to.ir of the .South Island would bring reality to li , - saying That this country has the greatest number of natural wonders m a small, space ol ciiiy "place in the world. ; ■* “From bfeial sources it was ascertained that the preponderance of land at present available for. '''?**'■ Settlement: is; in the Hahst and Okuru river vallevs, and ]s_ held 'under permanent tenure, ' : - ’which <: lneans leases are renewable and there is an occupational’right of purenase. .. “Howeverj access to the district has been notoriously poor, and communication by sea lias ;v '' necessarily been irregular. This has been a great drawback to any settlement project. .“AltlibughHlie land at present under permanent tenure would naturally benefit from a r '-Amng the total area so held is'only a very small part of the territory. . greater portion is under the title “PrOyisiomil Slate Forests , and the policy; : V' has. beeii;one of conserving the bush as much as possible.” “As porfions'of. the buslLwcre worked when access was provided, there would naturally Be ; -‘Crown.land available for settlement.” - NATURAL WEALTH. ' Jusbas there are natural wonders, so there is natural wealth of great value in South Westland A referfenbe hah'been made to the land content in river valleys, winch will carry unlimited stock—eiven facilities for reaching markets. The forest wealth for the thousands of acres of bush land involved must enormous. The -mineral deposits to be uncovered under improved access and assured 'suhnlies- 'mightireacli" aMabulous sum as untrod country is brought within the reach of 'the pros- ’ A > refSeircfe has been made to a jetty at Jackson -Bay, the best natural ocean port in Westland- Tf that were'provided, industrial activity would result in. various directions. It is believed not to he a costly: proposition, and wotild be justified over and over again by he revenue to be derived, from the ‘ibrest "areas of valuable white and red. pine, silver pine and beech.. The fisheries of the CoasLcould be developed from Jackson Bay, and be a material help to the. district m draw-mb-’.popiihition alid)Extending settlement. ' -'Tv THE POSSIBILITIES. and fetMknce to'the tourist attractions of New Zealand, and combined with the fact that a highway . Otiened... for mqtoring round the South Island, there is in this proposal for a work Ot such attributes which mean much to the fiiture of the Dominion. I here is too, south ar-l€hl*fe bf bbimtry almost'a blank, and which for tne want of population is almost a liability. lhat SUchi should be the ease is the failure to realise on the asset value by affording access. A recent iKSJSS bv the Hon 1 It. Semple, was to the effect that the facilities for transport mark comtfva civilisation. 1 Hare in Kouik Mid, is tire ojxrereg to turn a great nbv practically stagnant for the want of facilities, by the civilising effect of the means oT^efiferfer ‘trAhspfe'rt, and enable industry and progress to develop. ' i u.'? :

Tjfet*• t* ... '* , ‘r s V‘.' ■ d •' AWAITING THE VERDICT. '

This statement has gone to an unexpected length, but the subject is so large and attractive that much more could be said in the advocacy for Government attention to the roadmg project. ] 1 Engineers have carried out important investigations already and reached definite conclusions sho o tlnTroad to be' practicable. That it Will be of great asset value to counteract tjfie cost .appears-' to be < evident equally. Its consummation would be a great development achievement adding to I for expansion and sustained prosperity There is at, the present labour available in plenty for J e undertaking large as it is. Several major Works are drawing to a close and a surplus supply of c . will be available. It remains for the money to be provided. The Hon Gentlemen of *be Gabrnet and the Legislature are the keepers of the public purse, and it is hoped the project in fell its .Lea 0 s will have early consideration; " • ’’ ' . . . ... ! An endeavour has been made to give a general outline of the proposal .m this '! You will'have at your'disposal fuller official information. It ..is to be hoped with the facts to .be . closed in the official •records; 1 that Parliament will'be prompted to give favourable t . undei’takihg of’’the ‘ Centennial' Highway. "As one with some personal knowledge of. the Hair ahd' f Jackson 'Bay hhd Eglintdn regions, there is every confidence m feeling that Jhe undm takinlAvouhV be of immense future valueGo New Zealand. Its nrterjal nature a tmddrng- ; i uV Effect from the’ molheiit, the work was authorised,'fend once completed, it would I VI^ 1 I*® mh t j. possibilities brought to'light, lead to immense side-developments 111 settlement and lndiu tv, jP Er 1 A tourist treffic tvoul.l g ive 'tire Bum mm, as a uhole a great ™™tus bj Ae toureasllto number of t«vellaW;'afia lire mote eitensfve tltoii'lour tire lougor tl,rir stoy re M %»'«««• Sm/Sy'khild be reflected in varioustoUannels «.u ami .ton-n t,e IWflnon as n. reAt ol , t.lie fame whiW Votibl accrue from the knowledge abroad of the V odd s Wonder Buys Irek, „ . • .Soufhlhnd and Wesflarid. ‘ ’ . . ‘ ; Trnbupd with the Weat prospects attending this national undertaking, worthily marking the epoch interesting history, it is w-itli sincere confidence these hues are submitted for the careful consideration of Hon. Members of tli New Zealand I ailniment. ' ' " I have tlie lioiiour to be, lit. Hon'. Sir and HOll. Gentlemen; *•’ -• • *• Your Obedient Servant, ,1D. J. EVANS. / l, r.f.V .