THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1907. EXPLORATION IN WESTERN OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13830, 18 February 1907, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1907. EXPLORATION IN WESTERN OTAGO.

It 13 impossible to estimate adequately the value of the service reudered to the colony by Mr Thomas Mackenzie in his recent explorations in Western Otago, of which an interesting account has been furnished by him to our columns. The main purpose lie had in view was the discovery of a fairly direct route between Lakes To Anau and Wakatipu that would be practicable 'for tourist traffic, whereby the long detour may bo avoided which is at present necessary, and which practically deters mai)y a visitor to one of the two lakes frqm also visiting the other. Tho result of the investigations made by Mr' Mackenzie and the party with which he was associated is to show tluit there are three possible routes from To Anau to Wakatipu. Nono of them is a route capablo of being at present used by persons' without some experience in the ascending and descending of difficult country, without somo knowledge of buslicraft, y.itliont'a good deal of determination and endurance, and without a readiness to submit to tho minor discomforts that are connected with travel in a mountainous region where there has been very little exploration and where there is no settlement-. Mr .Mackenzie shows, however, that a practicable route may bo opened up by the formation of a road that has already been surveyed from Lake Wakatipu to Lake Howden, aud he points out, further, that an expenditure npoi) this object would serve in some, measure a threefold purpose, since Lake Howden, 22 miles from Lake Wakatipu, is on the route to Martin's Bay and is also the point from which tho road that will eventually be constructed from Wakatipu to Milford Sound must he taken. No doubt a certain amount of outlay, to which some people may strongly object, will be involved in tho adoption of any project to provide tourist facilities in the little known country at the heads of Lakes Wakatipu and To Anau. Tho country, has, hoTOVfir,

deckled—wisely, we believ[ th° development of her scenic ve4s and on the encouragement of toujtraffic, in the belief that any expenct tliafc may be incurred with thel w of ' attracting visitors from otheLls to Xew Zealand and of iiulucina m to tarry here, whether for the $aif y le varied sport that is offered Oj- tj le sake of enjoying the natural c\ ls 0 f the colony, will in "the long u l; e amply repaid. So far the effort tlie Tourist Department have directed towards the provision c;orforts and even luxuries at ■where- a heavy expenditure has\k« place, and towards the improveml, c the appointments at the Hermitaifo the benefit of visitors to Mount (pi Tlio tourist tracks of "Western have, oil the other hand, received cm parnt.ively scanty attention. Mr kenzie's suggestion that the huts'ai Sutherland Falls and the momi at tit various shelters on the overland roub to the fiords are.not of a character a satisfy tlio fastidious will probably jt : bo lost upon the member of Je Ministry who recently walked from ford Sound to Lake Te Anau. id when the Government has the mattjof the improvement of tlio on the tourist tracks in Otago ,'der consideration it will be certainlyosirable that it should also give tiqn to the question raised by lijMackenzie, of the advisability of ;ening up direct connection betweeuLakes Wqkatipu and Te Anau and ofirming the track between 51 i I ford Sod and Lako Wakatipu and of so re(]u)g the time required to be spent i actual walking on the overland route.lt may further bo hoped that Mr Mkenzie's earnest appeal for the protect# of the native birds will not fall unheed, and that the importance of preser'ig these denizens of the hush will be fully recogiiised.