TOURIST ROUTES

Southland Times, Issue 20940, 25 November 1929, Page 8

TOURIST ROUTES

DEVELOPMENT URGED MOTOR HIGHWAY TO MILFORD SOUND KINGSTON-QUEENSTOWN ROAD (From Our Special Reporter.) Queenstown, November 24. The need for the immediate completion of the Kingston-Queenstown road and the desirability of a motor road to Milford as suggested by Mr J. Cockburn and reported fully on by the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department (Mr F. W. Furkert) were two of the most important matters discussed at the quarterly meeting of the Southland League at Queenstown last evening. When a month ago, all men working on the Kingston-Queenstown road were suddenly removed . to work near Hawea, Queenstown residents were amazed and aghast. Only a comparatively small section of the road still remains to be done and its early completion was anticipated. . The matter came before the league meeting through a remit from the Queenstown Borough Council: “That this council is of opinion that work on the Kingston-Queens-town road should be resumed and carried on to completion.” The Mayor, Mr W. H. Overton said that many thousands had already been expended on the road and it would be a most unsound policy to leave it uncompleted. The Government had said the road was merely to provide relief work, but, he -and all progressive Queenstown residents regarded it of vital importance to the whole district. There was only some rock cutting to be done and the few remaining miles were easy going. He knew the league had always supported the project and could assure them of the council’s support. Mr J. Cockburn, a member of the Borough and County Councils stressed the importance to tourists of a round trip sucn as the lake road would provide. It woula not only be of benefit to Queenstown and Invercargill, but to all motor tourists who would be able to see the greatest extent of pastoral and agricultural land in the Dominion from which they were at present debarred through the necessity of returning via Otago. He failed to see why the men were taken off and put on the Haast Pass road work which was not nearly so important a link as the lake road. He did not think .the new road would affect the lake service in the least for he considered the traffic which would use the road would be barred from coming under present conditions.

Mr A. E. Willett gave an assurance that the Riverton people were in favour of its completion. Argument Exploded. Dr Anderson said there was a strong claim on the Government to complete the road. The Government began the work on its own initiative and should surely carry it through. Thq scenery down the lake was magnificent. If the road were put through, Invercargill would, be the city centre for Queenstown instead of Dunedin as at present. The road to Dunedin was shorter, though as the crow flies, Invercargill was much nearer.

Mr Leo Lee, chairman of the Lake County Council, exploded the argument regarding competition with the railway and lake service by asserting that the new tariff was based on the assumption that the roan would be completed. Mr A. Simson, ex-Mayor, voiced the only opposition to the speedy completion of the road. He said members should give the Government credit for its discretion in deciding to cease work. He maintained that the choice was between the present efficient lake service or if the road was completed, an inefficient service. He did not think the new road would benefit Queenstown as those who helped Queenstown came long distances and stayed several weeks. Mr W. 11. Berry, president of the Queenstown Progressive League, said his body was unanimously of opinion that the road should be completed speedily. It would be a great benefit to Queenstown and Southland. Mr C. S. Longuet, chairman, said the league had always stressed the importance of the road and was constantly corresponding with the Government concerning its completion. The remit urging the resumption of work and the completion of the road was carried almost unanimously. Access to Milford. The Queenstown Borough Council also had a' remit strongly supporting the Southland League in its endeavour to fink up Milford with Southland and Otago by motor road. The Mayor said that though the proposed road did not come near Glenorchy and did not therefore directly benefit Queenstown people, his district realized the wisdom ana importance of the scheme and supported it unselfishly and wholeheartedly. When the motor road was available to Milford, the glory of the sound would be opened to many hundreds who were now unable to afford the trip. Mr Cockburn, who is really responsible for the whole scheme, gave most interesting details of the proposed route. He strongly deprecated any Government expenditure on the Grave-Talbot track which he described as a goat track where it was necessary to hang on by “hands and eyebrows.” The road to Milford would make the expensive new hostel pay and was an easy task except for the tunnel. He was very pleased that the league right from the start had supported the scheme. Queenstown also approved of the Eglinton route despite the fact that it would not benefit the town or district. Dr Anderson said he had been over the Grave-Talbot track and - agreed with Mr Cockburn’s description. He impressed members with an account of the scenic grandeur of Mr Oockburn’s route with which he was also familiar.

The secretary of the league (Mr J. S. Dick) said that the Government had voted £3,000 for the track over the Gertrude Saddle and twenty men had been placed bn the construction. The chairman said that this track would be an excellent asset pending the full scheme. t Dr Anderson and Mr Cockburn agreed that the Gertrude Saddle track would be much better for ordinary tourists than the Grave-Talbot track. The remit was unanimously adopted. This afternoon, the league members are being taken by car down the new lake road as far as the Devil’s Staircase.