TO MOUNT COOK BY MOTOR CAR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9479, 5 February 1907, Page 4

TO MOUNT COOK BY MOTOR CAR.

:S|i<-c.!iiiiv Wi-ii.cn for tlie Oamaru Mail by A. C. G.) lie :::■■ iiitr_.d.;i lion of the excellent mo- ■">■ 1,!w.-. n Paii-lie and, tile Her-liiitii-je the journey e.i-c-li way lias been -horter.cd l>y a day, and Urns tlie- magnifi-or-iit icefields of the Southern Alps -'have '. e.u brought within easy reach of thoii-sar.-u-i whose limited holiday time has hitherto precluded them from "enjoying the "niquc experiences of. this most "dclighti'A trip. Even from as fax away as Cliil.;;( ..urcli or Duncdin, tli-a.se who 'liave out a hare week free can. now come :M:d ijicii;:- three dray; on the Tasman. Glacier. .ar.d have their minds enriched for the .-est of their lives: by glorious memories. .Many think of Aornngi as an ansieie jia.ni who .will sliow his secret.treasures -.-::.>• to a few experienced climbers who have his .sjeciai passport. We have 1...;g_ 1 ec.i amon-.'-.st those who "hold this ojihiion, and year by year we had passed i.-.t.i by to seek the rentier beauties of :in Southern bakes and Sounds. But at .-.-.;_ we have discovered' tha-t. this con- ■ rption is very far from tie truth. Aiiran_.i, no doubt, reserves his greatest treasures and his choicest gifts for those who enter furthest into his sanctuary, but lie has ample room for all and reward.. mri-st handsomely everyone who approaches him and pays him even the most distant On Xew Year's Day we leave Oamaru ir.r Mount Cook. In order to return as lit;];- as possible- on our tracks, we decide to go by Kurow and come, back by Fairlie. The train is full of returning hoi-day makers, all in the greatest of ■spiiits, who seem- to belong to one huge family party. As we leave (he main north line and turn up the Waitaki Valley, some excitement is caused by a race between a cyclist and the train. ' At first the cyclist catches up- and passes the (rain. Then we slowly overtake him. A minute',; pause, at a. siding allows him to take the lead. Again, we gradually forge ahead, but a long down tirade now helps him and he draws up level, only to fall back a little as he climbs- the next rise. Tims fortunes vary for several miles til!

the ioad and railway part company too widely to allow the passengers to see even tiie cyclist's hat above the hcd«rs. At each station eoik- of the merry party ;:re left behind amickt a c-honis of farewells, and at last we have the lon.g car-i-ki-je entirely to ourselves. At Ktn-ow we find th? I'-xoimYio-dation pxcclient, and next mnrnin-./. at- a quarter to ei-jht- aTC all ih-iaid -in Munvo's mail coach for Tukaki. Til." Waiinki V-iPey here c!o-as in and -teen mivl rug'jed h'lls rise abrnptly on ■iih-i -icle. For many miles the river, which is continually in si-jht, is the chief ■y>h:l of interest-, ft is no l-oinr-c-r the wide •hii'jly .;tt-:ig'j!e.r of the plain--, but, as a in .le stream, ritdios in broad and graceful '•uryes from side to side of its compa:.-;<-iv.lv narrow valley, tlie water a glorious ■'.iniiioise blue, broken here and there into f >;n-.:ii ■• raj-ids. Tlie hills are very Inrron end rocky, with, little but scattered itus-•r>i-k tiiid tuinataknru. The prcvnilhig yellow o! the t-'.i.:.-sock in the valley it-elf : = i.!--:i.-aniiy lelieved- by the vivid green of t':o willows, popia-rs. and piiif-s that surround! nearly every homestead. An oc-.•e.-donal ral.hit rush-.s away as the coach pn-?-.-.i. The road at first i.r an ideal one For cyclists, and makes one long to b? p:,'.aHing instead' of sitting idly on .-. 'oicli. but as we set further friiii Kurow the dust becomes deeper and deeper and the .".-'.m's heat- tiercel-, till the one thin" we hii/g for W the cc! shadti. At 11 o'clock we stop F.ji lunch at Oiem-itata. Whi'st

we rest tae .sua'.: power increases and a iijlit breeze .springs up which is just -tvoug ononi'li to carry along with us the fl-'ist cloud which we r'u'se. So from there to Ou'.aruma we have a cruel time. At Otematatu we leave the Waitaki Valley ■in-cl: after a e-entle illmb oi aiiotit five miles- we gam our firs! view of -Mount Huxley and the other tir.e peaks to the we.st of bake Ohau. This glimpse of skow and ice u most refreshing. The road then d.-or«. into the valley of the Otcmatara: : o and follows it down to the Ahurii-i. After t'.e ioim spell ol dry weather we have had we are .surprised' to find this, sucli a lai-se si renin, until we reme-nber tint t is fed by the enownVl.-k; of Mount Ifux ley. We nave to d:ive fhraiigh it sooa after leaving Omaraina, and find it none tci.i easy to era;.;. To those on the box sr ;t. indeed, the si-hi of the horses behvi twisted, round by the rush in-* wafer is ratbe-r alarminj-. ' I-VeeTent driving, how- ■■'-, saves the"-siluation. .-.nd we are soon a/a'n .amo-.i-.-T f!.-e tinssock.s.

Xcxt we have to nass a tra-it-ion en/in-:' drawiil-f ;i couple of heivily-laden watons. The coach horses object on principle to -such convnvances-, and so the engine has to .stan whilst we make a detour over the chin.-:. As we drive up the valley from Om.-ii-ama to Ben.uiore we watch the v.~ln'rlwindi- earrvln-r spiral coiunin.s of dust to a rent hei-h-t and the mirage ahead re.Heetiii" t':e lower snars of t.he hills and distant wi'ilow groves a.s in a lake. IMean-"-!;iie- a si-ard amy of distant Alnlne i-en'--.-! <-•; .•l-.id'ially nv/olde-1 n our view, ■t:?-a' air.-.nost th-in we fliin-k we can pick •■it !ho»e of the Liei- : r ••!•:] Mnit- Brim Waives. Mount Cook it-e'f i-- ,-i'l hr'dc'.e- '_ v t!;--; siva- of a 'ow hill 1 i the left, and ■it is not till-after we have ii-is.-c'- Bcnmore •'i-.d ar-; appToachiua t''-e Ohau River that It aiirenrs above t'-e shouh'er of the- hill. iiwi 1 -I'll.'.t after snowy n-alnt. e.a-h one bi-hrr than, the 1-st. tr'l! the errand double s'ur.init if elf ii-os ;>to view, and soon th? whole of ihc Teat mountain mass sta.-'V. out 'ma''astic in it.-, n'antle of white Th.:o fb"t view is n;o=t' impressive, and we realise at once the ore eniinenee of flv> cloud-niercer anionr Xcw Zea'a-n-d- Alpine- summits. Soon we rus-h down the s'de of a s*een river te'-race a'-.d turn sharnlv at the bottom aero: s the Ohau hrid-e A noble stream Ihis Oban River «-?ems as we watch -its swirling waters rushing beneath us. The long Ben Ohau Range which stretches right fr-ani lake Oh.au to the Hermitage, and which cu'-minatrs in Mount Sea'ey 13.651 feet) i-- now our consta.nt com]iaas.ion on the left r-ir th" rest of the journey: and the unfolding of the panorama of peaks ahead

!■? sii-ph ;ii-. un r ni):n.'.r source of interest tli.it :ilth:)!ij!i we have to pits'? a w'dc barren •trpteh of th? Upper Waita/un P'air.r? there :- not a r''i!l momfnt all the tin-::-. The intolerable heat is tk<w succeeded bv (he :';'licioi:-3 < '■ 'io:n''?.;< of a summer evcniii'.:. Wr are not ,~ony, however, after our lone: dav'.s eoachin.'r. on olimbin? the hills of the ci'janti" terminal Tiiorni.ro that s.ir-rv.m-'s tin- foot of lake Puka!;i to look down on the- beautiful water of the Lake and to see our ri';tin r _ r -place for file niirhl i-OF.tli'.vj' ir.- \ little' hollow besi''* the outlet, of the lake. Tt if) a\Mf third visit to Pnkaki. and we rind the ac.ommoc'aiion of the hotel, which n now mvi'er the control of the 'J'omist Department, very much improver!. Having met Oiir.-icr.ia! follow travellers, we --pciyl a plc'isirnt evening, and after a welcome rc-:t wake to fr'd -neither glorious miaTr'i:i<r. The sun is shinine; in a c.loufl!e-;> blue sky. and Mount Cook. stn.Twlin;» on! clear in every <let:nil. appears to lie just at the other curl of the lake instead of 40 miles away. The motor car is not r'ue tii! 12.c0 p.m.. so we wander about watchi'ivr the waters of the "river, t'he calm cxp.iii'-e of the hike and the arand. panorama of lr-iour.tains beyond. AVe choose the best foregrounds for a number of photographs, but before we have taken any t'-.e heat of the sun becomes so overpowering that we seek out the shadow of a 'hiiee reek, and lyiiifr where we have the idoriou.s scene nj-rea:! out before us, we study our map.? and rc.id about

".•Vornr.ai." Two motor car; -rrive r.itbeT later than we c-xneet. one having suffered £ls wort!) of damage to a tyre in a crec-k on the ivav. The lar.-cT, a 25 h.n. Darr;cq, lias

already one more than its full complement of ra"en7ers, besides tlie driver. The smaller, a 15 h.p car by the simp maker, designer! to hold tliTee besides

the driver, ha.-j only one pa;-er.2;c-r, but it n<".~ars *o he ronip'etely in evcrv part with lugfraae, chiefly the overP.ow from the other car. After a readjnshrriif. •v:wsv«r. wh'eh takes some time, room is for i:.i on its con- r o-taMe-rrais. Vie, nil meet at luii'h. and 1 then at a quartcriv.;t two .tart ior the He-'intace. Tin;

! '"O n'i'e ri'ii :'-" a "!oiiou= fivrerienee. The Toad is exceedingly rough in many places n ..,i, ~ , v rTf v-i-i'l-r of t'" c-eeI—. 1 —. w!' : ch cross it are more or less troublesome ; but the cars run beautifully i-nroothlv. i,.j i'..-, dri".?T; i—> pynprf- who kn.-i-.v exaetl.y how to tackle every difficulty. At >;-,-,' jii r *•-id. TO"rb'v fo-reed on the slopes of the moraine, sldrte the" lake r'o-.p In-. a-"d we are .-01 delighted with .he

lv~-a"t''fnl n'av of rolii* in *li" cloud-re-flections on its surface. The road here is very crooked, and some of the sharpest bends have rrjecial names, such as "The Boomerang" and "The Devil's Elbow." From the head of ->e lake onward f'e iT're.im.s which rto--

the road are not only far moie numerous but also larger' and swifter as they, come from the main Ben. Ohau Range instead of the moraine hills. When to reach Jack Creek, at present the woist stream of all,

the larger car, -which is not so low ir. tiie water,-leads the way, hut it sticks fast, and remains long enough lor as to get out a camera from amou_:si the iu-gage andsecure a- snapshot of i:. A I.e.- several attemirts io get on, it w...,:■':.--. through, and then comes our turn. '.'.'."■ niii.-k fas! at the same p'.ace. The wine-is -o round, belt the car refuses to move. Tiie passengers from l)oth cars alight, tiie rope that . biridij. the luggage- is undone and hitched to the. front of our car, and- then ensues a. grand tug-of-war —a. 15 h.p. engine and balf a EC-ore of tourists against or.o rocky stream.' Once tiie rope gives way and all the nailers are spread out in picturesque attitudes on the ground. But soon r,ucctes crowns our efforte, the stream is vanquished l and we speed on. As we <ro wej cannot hcl'v rental-king on the beautiful coloring in .the swamps that skirt the Tasman Valley. The glorious -picture of the.distant- mountains, becoming more and more impcoiug as we draw near, is completed, by a- grand eucce-rsira of deiio.htfii! - fore-.Tound. Occ'.i.sioiiaH" we notice a few. pukaa'd wading in the water, bright specs of blue and oran.-.-e a aim.-est t.he grcems and' browns of the rushes. The c-reat wall -of the Tasman moraine loomcs. ahead across the valley and impresses us by its- vaist size, and beyond it we are de-li-i.i'tcd' to see the cleaT ice of the Tasman and P-mcMf Glaciers. This part of the tourney is a-1 too short, and. we can -hardly believe that our 40 milcis drive is newly over when our car glides round under the cliffs of Scbaistopol and. the noble mass of Meant Sefton, with, its ma'rnifieeut b-rjngin._r <jlaciers and its

sturet;do:;s ice-clifl's, suddenly ap]>cars directly in fr-on-t of us. 1; is a thrilling

sight, and- we cnu hardly fe-.r oar eyes from it to-rei-osni.se as the He.rm.ita.je the little group of corrttgated iron buildings, lon.-r familiar to us from ohotoi'i-a-phs, which- -nestle wider the moraine hills apparently licht at its foot. Beyond these low hil'-s. and more to the right, Mount- Cook and St. David's Dome rise majestically, rolored idoriouslv by the evcni'iur light. About isix o'clock we dish mi to the c'nor and' find' a iroodly number of visitors lined -up., according to custom, to see the cars coir.-e iV ; . Some we know already, others in a few days bocoire to its like old friends.

Dinner at th.e TTermitage is very late, an .idimirab'e'arraiitremeiit to suit the nia-iorit-y of visitors, who like to have loni

davs. for their Aloine excursions. Xot he'n r f-miliar. however, -with the custom", of t'.e p'.-'ce. we nr r .s afternoon tea. which n:av be had for f!e> asking, and haviiTr

bi-1 'i vc-tv rSHv lunch, we find the two hours (ill at b'.st the "nir: rnund.s about R iviv. i. vp'v hniv.rv time. But lumcjcr '.- fov-'oiten us- W" climb one of t'-e pinill hi!'-- to • "t a '.letter view of t'v> rx.ncaniir; 7 ! Aorali. r i, a.rd as we watch rii-d I'sten. to n .-,nc-e c '-ion o r «r"-it aval.ir.rhrs. *>oni the ire-cliffs of Sefton. Durin" the eveit'iii we ma'-e nrra-"-"e-ine-n*.:-. wilih Mr Tffe- Or-.ham. the chief siv-'V. to start for the Tasman Glacier ne-' c'-'iv. The v„!..e ~,.„! ciivd'-ilitV.' of tlv_-i_-v.-motov ce.w receive :i iro-f. striking r.v<.r,.,-.i;fic-'tion A l-'dv is unfoi-tuntel-.-rdie- 1 ; ."wnv bv -erlo'if. iv?w". and in order to catch a v.riicir'i- .sr»n.iivr ; t i" -•••?:r-s----snrv for her to reach Tinv.-u in time f )r <h« fir-' rypTws to the north. This fw-jr--imiy--iMe I'oit I'-e d.river of onr mniorcai- vise lo the orcn-ion. Start in:.' at " r, u---rter to f-mr in t'-e '"ornlni-r h.- 1 fakes 1.-r- -T-ri,t th:rru"h to Tinv-ii oyer n.i l--)iir to snne. T'"e 136 miles are ,-„-e,-o,i in 7!„._ 4~iri"- /Vivi"" time <"■•->■'- .-iO-rio.-' th» st-te of the road", this is n "--.ii-'Vi f«l iwrformance. "'e wa'eh the 1-ir-er car start wieh "eve-T-.1 v»rrs». --..s at R n'.m «r;] f'-ri: nre-,-,'e. t'-n. T,-toi one ri'ht ai the T'.-ill TT„ t . Tl.;« cn ea-' - stve of Id miles for the first ■day. ' There is- therefore no necessity fo" an early start. The Hermitage is <rcnerallv -deserted, in the middle of t'e d-vv. and the nrc-rar.i-tien of lunch for the different -unities that go out is a work o? considerable time; so it is neatly 11 o'clock before we start. As we make our preparations the kindness of our new friends strikes us as most -remarkable. 'l-'ach ore seems ea-er to make everyone else's en joy-merit as perfect as possible. Special ointments and powders are offered .-s preventives of minlumi (a very .serious, matter ii" here). Veils of speen! colors are lent for the same purpos". Puttic; are considered indi-spensible and help is freely given in putting them on. Directions and valuable hints are proffbrev. and those who liavo already made the different tripes are crcliyliicd to put the new arrivals on the best traces. On the iii.st -day's iourney we may either walk or ride-.' We choose the former and set off, uuiclcd for the first two miles by one of our new lady friends. The track winds over the undulating (surface of the moraine to the river and then a'.on-' the bulk to the .vusjieiision bridge, which is .just below the junction of the-

Mueller a;:d the- Hooker. To newcomers the structure seems rather li-Jit and' aire. One wou'd prefer greater stability and strength. The floor of the bridge consists of three narrow pinnies at eaoh €v.-d\ but in ;he> middle, wheie we are dirretly above the foaming torrent, the- width i.: reduced to two. There is a

ban-rail of wire-iore. but it is rather too far fo one side to be quite convenient to hol'd. Tiie bridge swl-n-js very much from side to .tide when the wind is strong, and we heat that it las been blown down once or twice. Tt is also apt to jump up p.r.d ("''own ii a diseoneerting manner, e-s----peei'-l.ly when several are c.-ossin.2 at one time. 'But, all the same, tlvs bridge is a very great born, as if provides a.i easy way bath to the Tasman and the Hooker Gl-.eicr.s. We are fortunate in iiavinj ca'm weather to make our first crossinir. and we learn that by taking steps of different len-rth.s the jumping car, he almost, or e/u----tirelv. prevented. The track now turn-, directly down the Hooker Valley, and for the fir-t two miles is .almost level. The river then runs up close against the end spurs on the Mount Cook Range and- forms

a' rarici: of cliffs Koinxi these a n-irrow iir..;lulatin'r track has beer, civt, follow-in-.' the windings, ol the river, and lest tho turbulent waters almost directly below should prove, too disquieting for weak nciv-is a -strong wire cable lias been bolted •is. n h-niflrjii] to the rocks. Just after na-'sin-i thr.se r-]i(T.~, at the poir.-t where the Honker meets the Tn.sman Valley, wc see. the.wire rope with its suspended cace. a ivirrow box with shallow ekUs. A fewyards below the cage is the usual ford. There are thus three ways of crossing the Hooker, or four, if we count going round the head of it on the Mueller and Hooker Glaciers .is- one. But there is still tooiii for improvement, as neither the cage nor the ford is very invitinsr or altogether free from iisk, and wc picture the time when n real bridge will cross the river at this point, and the molor cirs will Tim right up to a new accommodation lions-? beside the Ball-.Glacicr. So time will then be wasted on tbe Ires interestm: parts -if the. journey, and travellers will step almost cl'ivect'.y from tlie. motor car on to the pure ice. Meanwhile those who prefer Tiding to walking need feel no misi'ivmis since the horses -ire splendidly trained for their work. We watched, tiieui on o'.ir return journey. The -pack-horse marches straight into t';e foamini water and slowly .-unci cn.refullv works his way across. Heavily hurdencd as he is, it looks at times a.s if he mn.st 'tumble and be swept, away, fliit bravely he struggles on amongst the boulders av/d Tenches ishallow inter. As .'.".Til r.-s. he docs so lie turns, deliberate! y ronnd and looks bark as if to eay. "You -er, it is quite possible; yon may fol-

low." A lady mounts in front of the •::;ide en the" other horse and they turn hi> head to the stream. Auam the careful feeli!'? for steps and hard pressing aarainst the rusliintr torrent for an anxious minute or two, and thev are sife ho-ide. the p.TJ-k-horse on the other hank. From the ford the track turns up the'

T.-.vnan Valley, and we have a hot and rather dreary' walk arrows the chin-le. Orce :■• sivai! clump of trees in a little hollow on tiie hilteide attracts our nttc-ii-ticn. and we enjov a breathing space in the shade, about six miles frcm the Herm if aire. We come to a creek which bars our wav. and before we ' have decided I whether' to wade through it or wait for The linr?Cs. Graham, who has ridden round by the ford, appevr.;.. acconrpanierJ. bv th" si'and old pack-horse. We are carried over cita-bv one. W» rre row almost tm to the great teTmir--' face of glacier, but instead: of I r ji,i,J3, r i,p it v.-e keep to the left j im-P7?i the low hills of the lateTal moraine. .Ahint two o'clock a halt i= called and the billy boiled not far from the blue ! lake whence issues the stream we have : _ nr.os.«r.-l Hei-e verv welcome shad* is found in a grove of lace bti.rk covered with a profusion of bucV.. We rhould ]nv liked to have =een the flowers a week or two late*-. The camera i; called-i«to-T.?o!iis;tson. the views down the v>ll»v from above the lake behi? spociaUv intevestinf. For the rest of the wav to ■th"- 'Rail Fit the fnrk lies foT the. most . part deep down in the V between the moraine and the moulitavnfiide. It is tc.Triblv hot whilst, the sun is up, as we are exposed to all the heat reflected, from the

bare rocks of the moraine. Occasionally we rise almost to the level of the surface of the glacier, but for the most part- we are- considerably below it: and though grand peeps, at the do la Heche Mountains ..iraisht ahead can sometimes be obtained, we rejiet all the time that a great- part of the view that would otherwise be enjoyed is cut off by the moraine cliffs. We feel we are in a sense defi.-tucKd as we should he if we went throu-.-ii the Oiira Gorge in a -railway .tunnel. If it was nossibie to do so, it is a great pity the track was not made along the ton of the moraine. But, even as it is, every step of the way is full of interest, and v.n one can fail to" bo impressed by the vast scale on which everything is constructed.- During the afternoon we get a conception of the tremendous power'of moving ice as an agent modifying .the earth's surface—a conception wiiich years of reading might fail to give. (To be continued.)