"Best in Australasia."

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2903, 24 January 1911, Page 5

"Best in Australasia."

THE SCENERY OF FIORDLAND. IMPROVEMENTS SUGGESTED. Mr Wade, a well-known politician in New South Wales, and till lately the Premier of that State, has almost completed a month's tour of the Dominion. Last year he spent six weeks in the North Island, but this occasion constitutes his first visit to the South Island. On Monday evening he returned from a tour in the Southern Lakes district, and, when seen by a'Daily Times'reporter, consented to make a few remarks on his impressions. " It has been a very enjoyable fortnight's tour," he said, " and we were exceedingly lucky in having fine weather most of the time, so that we were able to see the country under the most favorable conditions, and I think it only fair to say that, admitting all the attractions of the North Island in respect of its wonderful Hot Lakes region, the south is the place to come to for a trip that is both educational and bracing.

"The new track between the head of Lake Wakatipu and Glade House is becoming fairly popular, and if one or two difficulties that exist at present were removed this route would greatly increase in attractiveness. At present the journey through the Routeburn Valley is started either from Paradise or Kinloch. The difficulty of making the start from Paradise lies in the uncertainty of the River Dart. Its fords are unreliable, and the river is liable to a sudden rise on the smallest provocation. My party started from Paradise, leaving our luggage behind us at the accommodation honse. We were caught by heavy rain in the Routeburn Valley, and were thus cut off from any direct communication with Paradise, It became necessary then to return to Kinloch and wait for the lake steamer on Monday and get across to Glenorchy, and then open up communication with Paradise in order to secure the return of our luggage. These inconveniences could be obviated by making Paradise the starting point and erecting a bridge across the Dart, or else by making Kinloch the starting point and establishing more regular communication between that settlement and the ordinary lake steamers. " The view from the Lake Harris Saddle is magnificent, looking both down the Routeburn Valley towards Mount Earnslaw and in the opposite direction overlooking the Hollyford River Valley. The view to my mind from this point on a clear day is the FINEST AND GRANDEST IN AUSTRALASIA. and I am sure that if these obstacles which I have mentioned were removed it would lead to a large increase in the tourist traffic. Even telephonic communication between Kinloch and Glenorchy would be a great convenience "We likewise took the opportunity of running down to Milford Sound, but the arrangements for transport from the end of the track to Sutherland's were somewhat uncertain. Mr Sutherland has apparently made the rule recently that he will not call for tourists after 5.30 in the afternoon. If this rule is rigidly adhered to it will lead to serious complications, as there are many causes which will lead to travellers being late in reaching the end of the track, and the prospect of spending a night at Sandfly without provisions is not altogether encouraging. I understand some proposals are on foot which will result in these uncertainties being removed. I would like to add that I mention these two matters not by way of complaint, for I have thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but I am sure that the authorities will be ouly too willing to obtain the views of the tourists with regard to details of this nature, which, after all, are only a slight drawback to one of the finest trips south of the Line." A TRIANGULAR ROUTE.

Continuing, Mr Wade said that he had met three gentlemen who bad just succeeded in discovering by exploration a practical route from Milford Sound to the head of Lake Wakatipu. "If this track is made traversable," he said, " there will thus be opened up for tourists a triangular route between the head of Lake Wakatipu and Glade House, Glade House to Milford Sound, and Milford Sound back to Wakatipu. The tourist will then travel three sides of a triangle, and need not cover the same ground twice, while all the time he will be passing through ever-changing and magnificent scenery." In concluding this side of the interview the reporter invited Mr Wade to make a slight comparison between the famous Blue Mountains of New South Wales and the scenery ho had just seen. "The Blue Mountains," remarked Mr Wade, "present very grand scenery, but one doesn't obtain the same height and the same mountains, and there is an absence of snow and the streams are much more limited in number and volume." Mr Wade proceeded to say that this was one thing that had always struck him in New Zealand—wherever he went, north or south, he seemed to be always crossing streams which seemed to be more or less perennial. With these and the regular rainfall enjoyed here he thought the word drought was one wbich should be unknown in the vocabulary of the Dominion.— • Daily Times.'