HUNTING LODGE AT PARADISE PLANNED ON LUXURY LINES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27345, 22 March 1950, Page 4

HUNTING LODGE AT PARADISE PLANNED ON LUXURY LINES

Staff Reporter QUEENSTOWN, Mar. 21. « If the plans of Mr Hugh Miller, an American from Bermuda, who recently purchased Paradise House at the head of Lake Wakatipu, are realised, Queenstown will have another tourist attraction that may rival anything else in the country. As Mr Miller told the Licensing Control Commission at Queenstown today when applying for a tourist house licence, he intends to build a hunting and fishing lodge to attract overseas tourists, whom he is sure will want to come to Paradise. Mr Miller told the commission that he originally came from Bermuda and he purchased Paradise House at the end of September last year. He had travelled in many parts of the world, but more particularly in the United States and Canada. “I consider that the scenery, and hunting and fishing at Paradise are comparable with those of any place I have seen,” Mr Miller declared. “The possibilities, in my opinion, are tremendous and' the tourist house can be made absolutely outstanding.” Mr Miller said he intended to build a lodge and annexes. The old Paradise House was useless as far as he was concerned. The new building would be of stone—-which was available locally—and logs, an economical way to build. “This type of lodge is particularly designed for the men whose interests lie in hunting and fishing,” he said. “ I also plan to put in stables.” “I have a tentative plan to accommodate 55 or 60 in the initial stages,” he continued. “ Families will be catered for in five-roomed and fourroomed cottages. I consider there is a big opening for a holiday service for the honeymooners of this country. I am particularly attracted to the honeymooner—l was one myself once,” said Mr Miller. Showing a tentative plan to the commission, Mr Miller said the lodge should have one very large lounge with two big open stone fireplaces. For every four guests there should be a bath. Mr Miller said he could make all arrangements for tourists to come to Paradise, but transportation would be a great problem. “The Paradise area lends itself to my ideas,” he told the commission. “ There is excellent fishing, deer stalking and climbing. There is an airfield nearby and I understand that negotiations are under way to get a licence for the field. “We have seen Paradise,” said the chairman of the commission, Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M., “ and it is very attractive. If the commission sees fit to authorise a licence, Mr Miller can then make his application.”