TRIP TO HOMER TUNNEL

Southland Times, Issue 23025, 20 October 1936, Page 6

TRIP TO HOMER TUNNEL

CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE DELEGATES A trip up the Eglinton Valley to the Homer tunnel yesterday gave the delegates to the Congress of the Federated Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire, who are at present visiting Southland, an idea of what the province has to offer the overseas tourist. The party was impressed by the beauties of the Eglinton Valley and by the scenery through which it passed on the way from Lake Te Anau—where it spent Sunday night—to the tunnel. The visitors left Te Anau at 10 o’clock yesterday morning, had lunch at Cascade Creek and then went on to the last camp before the Homer tunnel. The cars were left there and the party walked as near as possible to the mouth of the tunnel. Progress beyond 400 yards from the tunnel-mouth was made impossible by the depth of snow on the ground. For 200 feet out from the tunnel the snow was about 15 feet deep—the result of an avalanche the previous day. Although a little rain fell, the weather was fine for the greater part of the day. The party arrived back at Te Anau at 6 o’clock last evening. The delegates leave at 5.30 a.m. to-day for Lumsden, from where they will go by bus to Gore—the first stage of the journey back to the North Island.