WANT TO COME BACK

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18580, 14 December 1934, Page 13

WANT TO COME BACK

AMERICAN VISITORS DELIGHTED, WITH DOMINION “AMAZING SCENERY” After an extensive to.yr of both islands, a Widely-travelled American, Dr. G.M. Park, pf St.. Louis, Missouri, embarked at Wellington on the Maikura for Australia. He was Accompanied by Mrs Park. Both had nothing, but enthusiasm for their visit tO this Dominion,

“You have a very hue little country,” said Dr. Park. “ Into a relatively small space you have packed an amazing variety of scenery that rivals in excellence anything the other countries can offer.”

Dr. Park said that he and Mrs Park had visited most of the chief scenic attractions. They had been to Rotorua, Wairakei, and Taupe, and had formed the opinion that the New Zealand thermal region far excelled in scenic merit the much-vaunted Yellowstone Park,- or the 'Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes in Alaska. The blowhole near Wairakei was unique, and all the other forms of, thermal activity were to be seen in the Rotorua district.

INTRIGUED BY IyAJTOMO CAVES. Dr. Park professed himself very much intrigued by the Wait.oipo Caves, saying that the loveliness of the glow-worm cavern would not easily fade from his memory. “I have visited the greatest cav.es in the world. I have been through the Mammoth Cave and the Colossal Cavern in Kentucky, and the Mighty Cave of Carlsbad, New Mexico, but although those eaves are impressive in size and formation, they contain nothing nothing so beautiful as the little living lanterns of AVaitomo, reflected in the clear water below.” The fanganui River and Tongariro were two other places in .he North Island that had particularly appealed to the visitors.

But it was in the South Island that, they felt particularly at home. “We are used to mountains; wo have travelled a great deal ainpung mountains, and have lived in high Country. It was a great pleasure to drive through the South Island badeblocks, ’ ’ said Dr. Park. He went on to describe their visit to, Mount Cook, and the Tasman Glacier, and to Milford Sound and the West Coast.

HOSPITALITY OF THE PEOPLE. “What will be one of my pleasantest memories will be the hospitality of the New Zealand people,” said Hr. Park. ‘ ‘ You know, in other countries, people are not f riendly and companionable to strangers ~as are New Zealanders. And the efficiency of your tourist serviyc is excellent; everything was made smooth and easy for us. •‘ I have heard Americans Comment unfavorably on New Zpahihd but that is the wr.ong spirit in Which to travel. As a matter of fact, the hotel service in New Zealand is thoroughly adequate; if one wants luxury hotels one should stay in the big cities and not travel abroad. Whed one travels, one goes to see Cod’s handiwork in foreign lands, and pot the interiors of hotel lounges. ’ 1 Dr. and Mrs Park will not return tq the United stqto,s fqr another eleven months. They plan ap arnbitipus tout through Australia, ‘Papua, Malaya and the East, and will pass next summer in Hawaii before returning to the ’States." .

“ Width- we get Mek wts f shall be giving a series of talks aniong : lnott's and women’s clubs there,’'’ said Dr. Park. “ You may be sure wc will have something very nice to say abqut New Zealand. both want, to coraq back.” ; /.