TOURIST RESORTS

Southland Times, Issue 19896, 15 June 1926, Page 6

TOURIST RESORTS

STEAMER SERVICE ON LAKE TE ANAU. BETTER FACILITIES WANTED. The urgent necessity of the steamer on Lake Te Anau being replaced by a modern vessel to cater for the requirements of the rapidly-growing volume of tourist traffic to Milford Sound during the summer months was recently given publicity in the columns of the Southland Times when its representative had an interview with Mr E. C. Govan, of Lake Te Anau Hotel. Since then the Southland League has been approached by several people who are acquainted with the drawbacks of the present steamer service on the Lake, with the result that the League’s secretary (Mr J. S. Dick) has written the following letter to the Hon. W. Noeworthy, Minister in Charge of Tourist and Health Resorts, urging that some action be taken immediately to replace the present steamer:— “I have been directed to write and bring before your notice a matter which, unless remedied, will greatly upset the future tourist traffic to the head of Lake Te Anau and incidentally that of the Milford Sound walk. The steamer at present being used in the service between the Te Anau Hotel and Glade House is unsuitable and is, moreover, in a bad state of repair. This boat, which is nearly 30 years old, is complained of very bitterly by tourists who are unfortunate in having to travel in it when the weather is at all unpropitious. In rough weather the steamer ships every wave and passengers cannot get any shelter on board, as the cabins get in a wet condition owing to the leaky state of the deck. Even in fine weather there is no comfort on the trip. An up-to-date boat would probably do the trip in less than three hours, whereas the boat in question takes five hours. There have been three serious breakdowns during the past season, causing tourists to miss their connections with boats, trains, etc. The engineer who has been in charge has refused to lake any further responsibility for the safety of the passengers, owing to the state of disrepair of the boat. The steamer service on Lake Te Anau is an essential link in the tourist traffic to the Milford Track and Milford Sound. The importance of these resorts cannot be over-estimated. Without a suitable boat the number of visiting tourists is never likely to increase to an appreciable extent. For this reason my League hopes you will see your way to take steps in the direction of having a sufficient sum of money placed on the estimates this year to make provision for a service on the Lake worthy of the resorts for which it is such an important factor.” IN REPLY TO MR GOVAN. To the Editor. Sir, —I have just seen your article of June 5, regarding Milford Track, and an interview which you had with Mr Govan of Te Anau. For the information of yourself and your readers I wish to put the following facts before you. So far from there being any apathy on the part of the Department, as alleged in this interview with Mr Govan and your article, I think a consideration of the work of the Department in the district will convince you that this accusation is not warranted. Taking the road from Lumsden to Te Anau, the expenditure on this road has been made entirely as the result of persistent representations from the Tourist Department. In regard to the hotel at Te Anau. Mr Govan’s original request was for an enlargement to his kitchen and dining room but as a result of a visit of the Minister it was decided to put up practically a new hotel. This has cost some £9OOO, and the expenditure has been by the Tourist and not the Public Works Department, as is alleged in Mr Govan’s statement. Then with regard to the Milford Sound and the Te Anau-Milford Track, the accommodation at the huts has been practically doubled. Last season the Department employed twelve extra men, throughout the season, to put the bridges and culverts in a proper state of repair. The expenditure on this track for maintenance work last year amounted to £6OOO and the additions to the huts and Glade House another £4OOO. You will recollect that the Department some time back purchased the land owned by the late Mr Sutherland. This is the onR flat land in the Sound, and is to be utilised for the erection of a proper hotel of which plans have now been prepared, and it is hoped to get it under way before very long. To further show the “apathy" of the Department I would remind you that had it not been for the action of the Minister of Tourist and Health Resorts, and his Department, the land would have gone from the people of New Zealand and been utilised for an industrial concern, leaving no place for any accommodation whatever. The support which the Minister received from many quarters in Otago and Southland, in his battle to preserve the Bowen Falls and this area, was of a very lukewarm character. With regard to the steamer, I cannot understand Mr Govan’s attitude at all. Mr Govan called on me in Wellington a week or two back, and discussed with me matters affecting the district generally. He expressed himself to me and another responsible officer as being quite satisfied with the present position, and as grateful for what had been done by the Department in the last two seasons. I raised the question of the replacement of the steamer, and he definitelv informed me that a new steamer was not required at present. What he desired was improved bulwark accommodation, to protect passengers in bad weather, and a larger propeller to increase the speed of the boat. With these improvements nothing further was necessary for a long time to come. Mr Govan definitely stated that, as the hull of the steamer was built of steel, it was perfectly sound, and fit for years to come. Why •he should now have to invoke the aid of outside societies is beyond my comprehension With reference to the machinery of the boat being rapidly failing to pieces, as Mr Govan is reported to have stated, the position is that the boat was handed over to him in excellent repair, and was inspected by him before he entered into the lease. One condition of the lease is that the boat and machinery are to be maintained by him in proper order and condition. The Department is not responsible if the lessee has allowed the machinery to deteriorate; but it can terminate the lease if he does not properly observe the conditions thereof, which include the maintenance of the steamer and machinery in proper order. Mr Govan is alleged to have said that his recent visit to Wellington had led him to the conclusion that the Minister was not favourably impressed with the necessity of pensioning off the present boat. As a matter of fact, Mr Govan did not go near the Minister on his last visit to Wellington, and, therefore, his views on this question must be purely imaginary. His interviews were with me personally. With regard to the last paragraph of Mr Govan’s interview, the only obstacle to the survey and passing of the steamer is the fact that the slipway is in such a state as to make it impossible to take the steamer out of water. This is now being attended to, but it should not have been necessary. The Department attended to the sliowav in 1922, and holds a written undertaking from Mr Govan to keep it in repair at his own expense during the currency of his lease.—*l am. etc., B. M. WILSON, General Manager, Touriet Deportment. Wellington, June 10, 1926.