IN SOUTH WESTLAND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 5804, 23 January 1906, Page 7

IN SOUTH WESTLAND.

THE FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER. i A FIELD FOR TOURISTS. While on a visit to the West Cca-t I of the South island, .Mr Frank Dyer • i Franz J.w-f ::e;m)’‘Kli)''%rito’s ■ south of Hokitika. To a ‘Times” reporter he-’, evening, he gave an account of hi;; trip. The [tarty, raid Mr liver, consisted . ' of the Premier, the Miniracr of Lands, j Aiao; Seddon, .Mr F. ,1. RolaTU (C'oinI imsuoner of Crown La mis for M. ; j land), and a number of others. The ■ number was augmented before liie , journey was completed by settlers • ‘room tho district, nnril there were al- : ; together forty or fiftv jiresent. Tl*e ■, journey was made partly by trap and ; partly on horseback, the nxvd being an exoelient, one. The only difficulty 1 was the e.rftoing of the numerous ■ rivers, two of which, the WaUiroa and I Big Wanganui, are largo and rapid, I and very dangerous at flood-time. “I | note ty your paper to-dav.” said Air I Dyer, "that the Public Work* D.- ; partmernt is collii.g for lenders for i bridging the Watorou. This will bo a I great, boon to the -settlers of Southern ! MiHthuid, as at present they aro very ; mucit hampi-re*! in getting their stock and produce to a'market.Mr Dyer ; said the road after leaving Ross runs at a. distance varying from eight to ten mile?; from the sea coast. The land between the hm* and the coast is of exceedingly good qualitv. "There are some fine grass paddocks with fat cattle in them as good as anything I have sron in the Taranaki district. To give an idea of the quality of nho land. Air Duncan mentioned in several of his speeches that if this land was in the Taranaki district it would be

■ worth anything up to £2O an acre, whereas in South Westland the average price is from £1 to £1 10s an acre. In addition to this fine grazing land, there are magnificent timber forests. Aa soon as. tho rivem are bridgi'd and toicilitics are provided for getting the timber to Hokitika. I am satisfied sawmills will spring up in all directions. Ail tho settlers have excellent gardens, and on one farm I saw as f.Po a crop of onto as anything I have seen on tho _ Canterbury side.” The Premier wan accorded a very hearty reception all along the route. A particularly pleasing sight was an arch of welcome erected bv a party hf roadmen working on Mount Hercules. It was artistically arranged across the .road with ferns, rata blossom, and native flowers. A feature of a banquet tendered to tho party at Okarito was a very neat speech made by Afiss Seddon in speaking to the toast of “The Ladies.” Tho Franz Josef glacier is situated about eleven miles from the Okarito Forks. _ There is a good metal road to tho Waibo. three miles from the glacier, where tho traps were left, and horses were then ridden along a bridle-track to tho too of tho glacier. The horses were thou abandoned, and the ascent began. Just previously a huge fall of ice had occurred, and some blocks of between forty and fifty tons were lying

about. The majority of the party, including a number of Indira, managed to make the stoop ascent, travelling for at least three-quarters of a mile on iho ice. Tlio day was fine and bright, ami tho magnificent icefield shewed to the best advantage. The glacier us roughly ertiatatod to bo eleven rni’es b'ng. ami from three to four wide. There are huge pinnae l !* of ice, towering up from fifty to 100 ft. extending right across Iho glacier. Tho cokrars to lie seen in these pinnacles and crovassea vary through all tho shades of pink, blue, and greon. Speaking generally of South Westland and (.ho Franz Jo-ef, he was satis-fied that when tho beauties of the district wore hotter known, and the facilities for getting there improved. it would become ono of the most popular tourist routea in tho South Tdand. _ Tile accommodation house** at the various stopping places are exceedingly comfortable, ami travellers can depend on good meals and proper attention for their horses. They would lie well ad-tod always to arrange for locally-bred horses, Because they understand better than strange aiiimali the negotiation of the rivers, in the rooky beds ef which they aro particularly fuire-footed. The riven; are an important feature of Wostland trave'ling. They rise very rapidly, and. peonlia.rly enough, are from nine inches to a foot higher at night than in the earlier part of the day. the difference being due to the melting of the snow on the ranges. Tourists are fortunate who can pet into communication with the mailman. Jock Adamson, who goes south twice a week, for there is no one on the coast who knows better than ho the fords of the rrvere, which shift, with every fresh. Thervyaro botit-ferrire; over tho AVataroa and Big Wanganui, and when tho rivers arc too high for horsw. tho passengers are ferried over, and the horses mvim behind.

On the route to the glacier there are three or four beautiful lakes, notably lantho and Maponrika. The country po-eetsn-K innumerable small streams, some of which have been stocked with trout, bat until tho facilities for getting fry down are improved, this work cannot bo properly carried out. Mr Dyer sufiWßta that Lakes lantho and Maponrika, afford excellent water for rearing some of tho American whitefish. which the Government are now importing.

Native birds are particularly plentiful. All the way down from* Okarito largo numbers of pigeons, kakns, etc., vrero fvocn, jvnd nnmbord of ken« w<mx> observed in the ranges at the head of the glacier. The settlers also remark, na nnmr.ml at thus time of year, on the presence of ke-aa on the low Haris clree to the Wsiho.

The road to tho Franz Josef glacier continues from the Wailio in the form of a bridle-track to the Fox Glacier and thence on to tho JTajmt Pass, the route followed hy Air Tom Sodden and the A Jay or of Adelaide in their recent journey through to Otago hv wav of V/anaka.

Tlie time occupied hy the party from Hokitika to the glacier and back was only six days, a record only possible in fine weather.