TWO THOUSAND MILES BY ROAD AND RAIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18198, 19 March 1921, Page 7

TWO THOUSAND MILES BY ROAD AND RAIL.

By Db Gordon Macdonald.

A VISIT TO FRANZ JOSEF GLACIER.

As the crow flies, the Franz Josef Glacier is only about one hundred miles distant from Dunedin, but if a Dunedin resident wishes to visit it he must travel over 500 miles to do so. The reason for this is want of direct communication. One has to travel to Christchurch, thence across the Otira Gorge to Greymouth, and thence down the West Coast to the glacier. This is much the same as travelling round a circle in order to reach its centre. The proper course for the QHigoite or Southlander would be to take train to. Cromwell or Queenstown, and thence per car to Pembroke, Lake Wanaka. From the head of the lake a track exists over the Haast Pass to near the mouth of the Haast River, and a fairly good road runs along the West Coast to the very edge of the glacier and thence on to the railhead at Ross. If a road were formed over the Haast Pass—and there are no great difficulties in the way—one might drive all the way from Dunedin or Invercargill oyer the Haast Pass, thence up Westland to Greymouth, then over the Otira Gorge to Christchurch and so back to the starting-point. The only roadless gap now existing over this splendid drive is that caused by the absence of some 30 miles "of road line over the Haast Pass. If the public and politicians of Otago and Southland put their heads together, this task could be easily accomplished. We have been promised something of the kind for many years, and now comes the time for fulfilling it. Here let us say at once that the unbridged rivers and streams up the West Coast are no obstacle, for every day during the season motor cars of all descriptions ford the streams between Hokitika and the glacier, -generally on their own power and unassisted, but occasionally with the aid of some settler s horse. Some of the larger rivers are dangerous after heavy rain through the existence of holes or through change of channel, but the roadmen are active and place warning posts at dangerous spots. It follows, then, that the bogeys of the West Coast have been somewhat exaggerated. The country between the Haast River and Ross—indeed, that between Wanaka and Ross—is sufficiently wild and grand to suit the tastes of the most exacting traveller. It extends over about two hundred miles and includes exceedingly varied types of scenery—splendidly-grassed hills and mountains, lake and forest, cliffs and seashore, rivers and streams, river flats 'and deep .ravines, solitude and eternal snows, life and death; indeed, enough to keep one thinking Jor years. We have seen most, if not all, the grand tours in, New Zealand, and for natural grandeur, old Nature at her best, this tour eclipses everything within Hie dominion. The Bailer Gorge and the journey from Westport to Nelson are certainly magnificent, but are largely of a sameness. One is shut in a narrow wooded valley or valleys almost the whole way. The route, also, is largely devoid of life, while the view is very circumscribed. The same remark applies to the Wanganui River tour, while the trip from Rotorua to Taupe or Napier is tame from a scenic point of view. From Dunedin to the Haast Pass, thence to Greymouth, and over the Otira. Gorge to Christchurch includes everything scenic that can interest the human mind. The Eity is, that it is so’ little known and so ttle utilised by the general public. The glacier, though not such an immense field ’ of ice as the Tasman, is well worth visiting. It is accessible with a minimum of effort, as motor cars travel to within two miles of it almost daily during the season. Glacier House—or, as the local wags call it, “Claverhouse,” as the proprietors are said to belong to that ilk—is large and 'commodious. It is situated on the north bank of the Waiho River and just at the month of the Waiho Gorge, up which the glacier lies. A suspension bridge spans the icy, turbulent Waiho just at the back door. From the bridge a splendid avenue of various New' Zealand trees and shrubs leads on . to the edge of the ice, and, excepting at its upper end, the glacier is surrounded by bush. Here, one can see the red birch with its red blossom, the ribbonwood with its .white blossom, the rata with its red blossom, the koromiko with its'blue and purple, all flowering at the same time, and each more attractive and inviting than its neighbour. Of ferns, the king, or punga, variety far outshines every other fern. It forms itself into a splendid tree, with fronds from ten to, twenty feet in length, and its crown at times shields an area of about a hundred square feet. Of animal life round about the glacier, there is little or nothing, for an occasional pigeon or kaka is about all to be noticed. A great mass of rock which seems at one time to have slid from the side of the mountain blocks the glacier. . The forces of Nature must be terrific. Miles of beautifully clean ice like a great mountain lake threaten to force their way down the gorge. The mass of rock says, “No! Stay where you are.” The mighty glacier laughs at the puny rock and says.*“All right; I’ll pass by the other side.” Then straightway it melts itself into a milky liquid, which bubbles over the rock and grinds it to atoms, forming a greats river which roars down tire gorge carrying every obstruction before it. At this point the great face of ice is said to be about 250 feet deep. Standing on' the top of rock hillock and looking up the glacier, one sees its pyra-' micfs, spires, and turrets, its caves, grottos, fissures, and valleys, its cliffs, bridges, and culverts, its endless grotesqu* shapes and shades of colour, a veritable fairyland of wonders which makes an enchanting scene. Should one be too tired to walk upon this sea of rice, all those things can be examined in detail by walking in the shade of the bush. ~ Bush and ice and glorious sunshine side by side! It seems inconsistent, but there it is, and the explanation is that the lower end of the glacier is only about 500 feet above sea level. Curio hunters can find excellent specimens of rock crystal, and various minerals hurled from the mountain sides. Flora hunters can only be astonished at the alpine and sea-

side plants growing side by side. Fauna hunters will be surprised that in the midst of such glorious surroundings there is an almost entire absence of animal life. Nature herself is most capricious in her moods. One moment she is calm and peaceful, exposing all her charms to the vulgar gaze. Again, she jshrouds herself in mist and darkness, frowning and forbidding at the least approach. Not content with this she whistles in Arctic blasts and hurls terrific sheets of fire and thunder at all intruders. If mighty Jove of ancient fame had a home amongst mortals, this, indeed, would be a regal abode for him. We saw or heard him in flood, in fire, and in thunder, and we reflected upon what poor creatures are mortals. Alluring as were Franz Josef and the territory of the immortals, we poor mortals had to seek the shelter and sustenance of old Mother Earth. Here we turned away to see what Dives could do for us in the way of land and timber. There is land in abundance, but, excepting along the river flats, it is valueless for the raising of grains or vegetables. Hill and dale are covered with dense bush, and so are unfit for sheep, but cattle do fairly well there. They, however, lack the sleek coats and well-covered ribs of their fellows in Canterbury, and this is attributed partly to the moisture and partly to the Jack of the necessary fattening elements in the grass and leaves. Theie is room here for hundreds more of the hardy pioneer class who can face discomforts and exposure with impunity. A few such already exist at scattered intervals along the river flats, but there is abundance of .room for many more. Ask those people if there be trout in those numerous and splendid streams, and the answer comes, “Yes; but it is slow work to catch them.” They content themselves, therefore, with the eel pot and eel pie. Timber there is everywhere, look where you may, excepting the mountain tops, and there is nothing but bush. One would think that from the Haast River to Marlborough Sounds there is enough, timber to last New Zealand for ages. Such, however, is not*lhe case, as most of the milling timber is confined to the richer soil along the river flats, while the hill and mountain timber is toopoorly grown for commercial purposes. The hill and 'mountain sides, when broken, seem one mass of rock and shingle. One sees almost as many rivers of shingle as of water. This state of things is not quite so bad in the papa rock and coal country extending from Hokitika to far up into the .Nekon_ province, but even here there is shingle in abundance. Every road in Westland and Nelson is shingle, hence, with all the rains, the roads are dry and good for motoring. Fire has not been nearly so destructive in Westland as iri Otago. In the North Island it seems to have run riot, and it is much the same between Nelson and Blenheim. No doubt, the frequent rains have had their effect in Westland, and this is a blessing, as New Zealand has been prodigally destructive of her timber resources. Timber mills, both primitive and modern, are met with at every convenient spot. The whirr of the saw and the glack, . glack of the axe are heard everywhere. W<s witnessed the doom of a forest giant. A son of Tubal Cain came along-and knocked the giant near his roots. It had stood there for ages defying time, storm, and competition, but now sentence of death was pronounced. After a few hard whacks, down it fell with a shriek and a groan that shook the earth.

There seems nO end to coal in the papa country, and in many localities an endless supply can be had by merely driving tunnels into the side of the hill or mountain. If Nature has been unkind to the West Coast in not giving it a rich and productive soil, she certainly has been prodigal in her mineral gifts. Much has been heard about the lavish waste- of public money on that fourteen-mile -of uncompleted railway up the Buller Gorge from Westport, but it seems to justify its existence. It is possible that at the time of its construction the expenditure was unwise, but the Buller Gorge seems to abound in coal and minerals,' which one day will be developed. When that day comes, good-bye to the scenic glories of the Buller Gorge. One has merely to travel this island with the knowing eye and reflective mind to be convinced of the enormous undeveloped wealth there is stored in the soil, the rocks, and the bounteous water supply of the country. We are blessed with a splendid climate; our country hides untold potentialities of wealth, and it merely requires - men of calibre to convert them into an endless supply of riches.