MILFORD TRACK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20705, 1 May 1929, Page 10

MILFORD TRACK.

IMPROVEMENTS EFFECTED. A SUCCESSFUL SEASON. (Special to Dailt Times.) INVERCARGILL, April 30. The manager of the Milford track, Mr L. M. Cheriton, when speaking to a Southland Times reporter this afternoon, said that the past season had been a very good one on the track, and would probably have been a record if Glade House had not been burned down. The visiora to'the track liked to finish the last day with a bath and a rest at Glade House, and when they had to walk from the last hut to the boat on the final morning of the trip they sometimes had to contend with wet weather. The flow of traffic was good until about six weeks ago, when a spell of wet weather caused a check. . The final three or four weeks were spent in excellent weather, but the traffic did not pick up again. The season had been a good one as regards weather and the workmen had been able to do a great deal towards improving the track. The whole of the Lake Ada track was reopened and reconditioned during the season, and in all 17 miles of track were put in first-class order. A good swing bridge was built over the Clinton River and would meet all requirements there for many years. The Public Works Department had built two fine bridges on the Lake Ada track, one at Giant Gate Falls and the other at Poseidon Creek. Tourists could thus walk round the lake in comfort and any “hold ups” caused by a sudden rise in the lake would be obviated. The whole of the track was in good order, and had been very free from snow.

When speaking of the loss of Glade House, Mr Cheriton said that the fire might have been much more serious if the vicinity had been in the condition it was in some years ago. He had recently carried out a considerable amount of scrub clearing, and this had prevented the fire from spreading to the forest. The undergrowth was very dry at the tipie, and a bush fire would have spread rapidly. Someone had informed the newspapers that no effort was made to save the building, but that was not correct.' A determined effort was made to check the fire by numbers of the men present, and some of them, including Mr Cheriton, were badly burned and suffered considerably from the smoke.

The work of rebuilding Glade House would be undertaken shortly, and some sort of accommodation would be ready for tourists when the track was again opened. The class of building to be erected was n6t yet known, but it would not take the place of the old building in the speaker’s affections, “for,” he said, “it was a fine old place, and I was quite fond of it.”

Mr Cheriton also stated that it was the intention of the department to- supply electrical .equipment to-Glade House, the Milford hostel, and the huts on the track. Conditions during the winter would prevent ■ the use of an overland power line, and the. supply of water made local schemes more economical. Careful surveys were being made, and each point would be equipped with very little piping or transmission. The power would be used for lighting, cooking, and water heating, and would do a great deal to add to the comfort of tourists. As many as 90 guests had dined at Glade House on one day, and the cooking for such a number with wood for fuel was a big task. The carting of firewood was also a problem, and he objected to the destruction of. the forest for firewood. Mr Cheriton’s whole attitude shows that he takes a very keen interest in the track and has its successful operation very much at heart.