TOURIST FACILITIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 14972, 19 April 1909, Page 4

TOURIST FACILITIES.

THE HON T. MACKENZIE'S PROPOSALS. FROM THE HERMITAGE TO THE. WEST COAST. The Hon T. Mackenzie, Minister of Tounts and Health Resorts, passed through Christchurch on his way from Dunedin to Wellington on Saturday eyonhig. He has been spending some time in the south, and has visited the Hermitage at Mount Cook, in connection with which ho has arranged some important changes. The visit to the Hermitage was made in order that the Minister might go into the question of alterations that are needed and have been urged by many people. Some people had said that the present site of the Hermitage building was the most suitable that could be obtained, but, after going over the ground and visiting a proposed site at Governor's Bush, Mr Mackenzie decided in favour of the new site, which is a mile nearer tho mountain scenery. He told a reporter that the present site was unsuitable in every respect, and was by no means attractive. It was very cold, and in dry weather there was no supply of water. Tho new site, he says, is on a terrace about 100 or 200 feet high, with grassy faces and overlooking a grassy plain. It commands a splendid view of the best features of the place, and is sunny, warm and sheltered. There is a considerable extent of native forest, varying from shrubberies to heavy bush, and the place is a natural garden. An ample supply of water is available •and the site i 3 in every way ideal. " 1 intend only to spend on the present place tho barest amount that will keep it going," said the Minister, " and any money available I will recommend the Government to spend en the erection of buildings at Governor's Bush. The good portion of tho present Hermitage can then be removed to the new spot, and if this is properly.done the season's traffic need not be interfered with." " As • time went on," Mr Mackenzie added," " the funds available would allow of a good plain front being put on the structure, and his idea was to make tho building plain and useful, with airy and roomy quarters, and, a good supply of baths and hot and cold water, and comfortable furnishings." THE WEST COAST TRIP. The West Coast people had been asking tho Government tor largo sums for the opening up of tho scenic grandeur there. He could not entertain the requests for big votes, but as far as moderate expenditure would allow he would do all he could to bring tho public into touch with the scenery in that portion of the dominion. Many of tho hardier tourists had crossed from the Hermitage to the western side over the dividing Alps, and there were two waya open for that trip. One was by going beyond the head of the Tasman Glacier, where tho traveller found tho -most magnificent ice system that could be met with in tho temperate zone. Tho grandeur of that place was entirely unknown to people, except to a few hardy mountaineers who had beon there. There was no doubt that the district would in the future be bound to attract hundreds of thousands of' travellers to its marvellous glacier and mountain scenes. The route traversed that region and then went over Graham Pass, at an altitude of 8800 feet, and alter skirting over snowfields at a high altitude descended partly on and partly at the edge of tho famous Franz Josef Glacier, and so down to the western side. Another and a better route, which opened up much more scenery, was by way of the Hooker Glacier and tho Fitzgerald Pass to tho Copcland River. That route had been traversed by a few hardy tourists. It enabled the traveller to roach a very interesting place named Welcome H lat, in the

Copeland Valley, where there were some fine thermal springs. Further on the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers were met, and the traveller went on to the Ross railway, and could go north to Buller and Nelson or over the Otira Gorge to Christchurch. At present a hardy alpine climber could, by taking risks and making a very long day of it, cross there. What is needed is somo facilities to make the track available to the ordinary traveller in good form. The Minister' proposes to build a hut up the Hooker River, about six or eight miles from The Hermitage, and another at Welcome Flat. That would make the trip reasonably easy and safe, were bad weather to come on. He may also recommend a hut at the head of tho Franz Josef Glacier, at the water-hole to which a hardy climber could get from the Malte Brun hut in a day. These were all parts, Mr Mackenzie added, of the wider scheme of tours which ho had referred to some time ago. In working out the sections they should endeavour to have always in view the ultimate connection of a grand tourist route. It could begin at Milford Sound, bringing Lake Wakatipu closer, thence over the Crown range to Wa'naka, and down to Clyde" and Dunedin, or over tho Lindis Pass to Pukaki and back to Timaru, from which The Hermitage and the Copeland Valley could be reached. In future an endeavour would be made to get the tours from Christchurch and Dunedin completed in one day. At present, even with the excellent motor service provided by Mr Wigley, the journey could not be done under two days. The shorter trip would be accomplished by bridging the Tasman River at Grassy Point, opposite, the new Hermitage site, some rock-cutting on tho east, side of the river, and by a shorter road to Tekapo. The journey from Fairlie to the Hermitage could be shortened by thirty-eight miles, and though the initial cost would be heavy, there would be a saving of the amount now expended on the maintenance of bridges and thirty-six miles of road, which was subjret to wash-outs. Mr Mackenzie said that some chamois had been seen on a spur of Mount Cook recently, and ho was about to send somo ibex to the West Coast, to tho Mackenzie-Seaforth River, from Rctorua. The animals were two males and four females, and they should breed well there. REORGANISATION SCHEMES. THE NEW TOURIST DEPARTMENT. "I have been getting balances out from the various public conveniences of the Tourist Department," said Mr Mackenzie, " and I have come to the conclusion that many places could be better carried on if leased." It was not a good palicy, he added, to have all places managed from a centralised office in Wellington, and he had a poor opinion of the system now in vogue, which was leading to great expense and inefficiency. A great deal more than was being done at present could be effected by a man on the spot. FACILITIES FOR INVALIDS. A SCHEME FORESHADOWED. Questioned concerning the sanatoriums at Hanmer and Rotorua, and the 'number of persons receiving treatment there, the Minister said that he considered the time had now come when those institutions should be placed on a different footing. _ Therfe were numbers of persons suffering from rheumatism and skin diseases who would receive honest benefit from treatment at the sanatorium, but the expenditure involved rendered tho trip out of question. There were four free beds at each place, but they were not nearly sufficient, and he considered that the time had come when hospitals and charitable institutions should take a hand in the work. Tho cost,of patients who came from outside, a hospital district and wore treated at sanatoriums could bo paid for by local bodies, and in the same w-ay as was dono in the case of patients who were transferred from ono hospital district

to another, the boards could provide part of the cost of treatment. If that were done larger buildings:: could; ba erected and people who were .prevented from earning livings for themselves and their families would not' he prived of their remedy at a reasonable cost. The country should do everything possible to help the sufferers and remedy the present state of affairs by, making the natural waters of tho" dominion more easily available: THE LAWRENCE-ROXBURGH RAILWAY. The Minister made brief reference to the stoppage of work on tho LawrenceRoxburgh Railway. There was no. doubt in his mind, he said, that the most feasible plan would be for a narrow gauge line up the Clutha. Valley. That would tap the most fertile portion of-tho country, and the rich agricultural land lying inland from Balclutha to Roxburgh, if served by a light line, would be adequately treated and the money saved from expenditure on roads would _quite pay the interest on the sum estimated as the cost of running a line. There was a fine valloy extending for twenty-five miles .'on either side of the Clutha. The highway was natural and had been hewn out by Nature, so that it gave every facility for a railway. In his opinion the •scheme he mentioned was the best thing for Central Otago.