CHATEAU TONGARIRO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20331, 12 August 1929, Page 11

CHATEAU TONGARIRO.

OCCUPATION THIS WEEK,

WINTER SPORTS SEASON.

PLANS OF THE SKI CLUB. The winter sports season will open at ■(lie National Park this rnonfli. Bookings for accommodation at various points in the park indicate a record invasion of the mountain playground, and it is anticipated that. 250 people •will he in residence at Whakapapa, where the Chateau Tongariro has been erected, by the end of the month.

The chateau is at present being furnished and the work lias proceeded so rapidly that the building will be occupied this week, although the official opening will be delayed until the first week in November. The central heating system was used successfully last week. Owing to difficulties in connection with harnessing hydro-elcctric power, the original plan for providing heating and power for the building has been temporarily abandoned and a Diesel engine is now being assembled instead. The View From the Lounge.

Undoubtedly the most striking feature of the chateau is its magnificent lounge, a spacious room commanding through its eastern windows uninterrupted views of Mount Ruapehu and through the windows on the. northern side views of Ngauruhoe. A parquet floor is being laid for dancing. The centre window in the northern wall, arched at the top, is attracting considerable attention; probably no nother single window in New Zealand (several artist visitors have said the world) presents a more perfectly framed view—the symmetrical cone of Ngauruhoe, a wreath of smoke issuing from its crater, soaring out of a snow-blanketed foreground. The volcano exactly fills the window-frame—it might have been painted there.

Other interesting features of the chateau include a wide balcony covering the main entrance porch. There is a proposal to I flood the floor of this balcony with water |to permit of skating in winter. In the dining room electric toasters will be fitted to many of the tables for guests to make their own toast. A gymnasium, a drying room for drying clothes in wet weather, a sports-fitting room where guests and visitors may obtain correct alpine apparel and skis, and a cafeteria for the use of excursionists are in the basement of the building. An electric lift takes the. guests to the bedrooms, all of which contaiu running hot water, with bathrooms attached. Outside, work is proceeding with the laying out of an ISholes golf links, which will cost approximately £SOOO. Ruapehu Ski Club's Visit. The Buapchu Ski Club will go into residence at the chateau on August 28 for its eleven days' annual outing. Ihe period will coincide with the second term school holidays, enabling a large number of teachers to avail themselves of the opportunity the trip provides. The party is expected to number 60 or 65. At the same time a party from the Tararua Tramping Club will be at the chateau. •A comprehensive sports programme is to be undertaken and for the first time an amateur ski-ing championship for the whole of New Zealand will be promoted. The club intends going into this matter very fully, and it is likely that competitors from North Auckland to the Bluff will participate in what, so far as tfie Dominion is concerned, is an innovation. With alpine sport growing in popularity it is fitting that something of tlie sort should find a place in a New Zealand competitive programme and the club is setting a lead.

.Although, up to the present, no attempt has hern made fo construct skiing courses in lino with those provided hv old-established clubs in other countries, the Euapehu Ski Club officials are fully alive to the necessity for carrying out improvements in -this direction at the National Park and will endeavour to provide better ski-ing facilities in the future. The club is virtually a body that- pays the grea.ter part of its attention to ski-ing and goes in -for this form of recreation to i more marked degree than kindred bodies, but the tramping side, of mountain sport will not be neglected. Interesting trips are to be organised to various parts in thf vicinity of Whakapapa and one. of the features of long• standing will aga;n find a place on the programme—an ascent to the summit of Euapehu by as many of the party as can undertake the journey. A tramp over Ngauruboe's slopes will be reserved for the more virile members. Sports will take place near the close, of the period and will include ski racing, cross-country run, the slams, turning, interprovincial relay raco and jumping.